Lost
by Cobbler1998
Summary: John Winchester is missing, it's up to Dean, Sam, and the Demi-God Shia to find him. Don't be shy to read their adventures. (Set in Season 1). Dean/OC x
1. How It All Started

Shia's P.O.V

Ten Years Ago, I was at home with my mom and my dad singing along to the radio as I helped cook dinner, if I remember correctly it was an old rock song from the early 80's...around the time I was born. It was in the middle of fall, because I can remember the leaves changing into different colors and the wind picking it up and taking them away from the trees. "Why aren't you singing anymore, darling?" I heard a thick British accent ask me.

"I don't think I'm in the mood to sing anymore, I'm feeling a bit sick now. I think I'll go upstairs to lie down." I said to her as I make my way to my room. Something did not feel right about that night. I felt like something strange was going to happen at any moment. I was in my bed now slowly drifting to sleep until I heard a loud thud coming from beside my dresser. "I told you that I wanted to sleep, mom."  
"You can sleep in due time, my child." Someone said, I didn't recognize that voice or did I?

"Who are you?!" I asked as I moved quickly from my bed. I could put a face to that voice now, It was a tall, slim women with long curly hair and beautiful smooth dark skin. "I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War, and you are Shia Sharaye Colten, my daughter." She said slowly walking over to me. I remand calm, she didn't give me the feeling of her being so I allowed her to come closer to me. "What do you want? And I am not your daughter! I am not adopted or whatever! Leave now or I'll scream." I said to her hoping this was all a vivid dream.

"I need you to come with me, you won't be safe here any longer. If you care about your 'parents' then you'd come with me. I must erase thier memory of you, I must take you to someone I know that will teach you how to protect yourself and how to control your developing powers. I don't want anything happening to you. You are my only daughter, well, the only one that's living. Please, if you knew how much danger you are in you'd come with me." Athena said calmly. For some reason I believed her, but then again I couldn't leave my old life behind to start a new one, I had friends and family...I just can't leave them behind.

"Hold on a second. First, you tell me that you're my mother. Then, you tell I'm in danger and you want me to come with you. Then, you tell me I'm suppose to live with some stranger for the rest of my life! Now, you're saying that if I don't leave I'll put everyone I love in danger! And what powers are you talking about?! I don't have powers! This is just some crazy dream, and I'm going to try to wake up now." I said as I pinched my skin trying to wake up.

"I'm afraid it's not a dream, darling. Please, trust me. I want to keep you somewhere I know you will be safe. There is a demon out there that wants to use you for his own benefits, he knows that you haven't mastered into your powers yet. He knows that you are a Demi-God. I want to you to be as far away from him as possible. Please." Athena begged. I knew what she was saying was true, but I didn't want to believe her. I guess I'll go with her, try to keep the people I love safe. That's the best thing to do, right? "Wait, will I ever see them again?" I asked hoping that once this was over my life could be normal again. "I'm afraid not, my love. You have a journey ahead of you. You will learn to fight against evil, and you will save people in the process. You will see them, but they won't remember you. I'll send you to a man named Bobby Singer. He will be your new father, you'll like him. I promise." Athena said as she gave me a comforting smile. I closed my eyes and went we her.

I felt like I was flying, it was a very strange feeling. I remember seeing the house that I will know call my home. I walked up towards the porch and slowly knocked on the door. I turned around to get a look at everything, as I was standing there my eyes landed on a beautiful '67 black impala if I'm not mistaking. I'm not sure, but I know it was beautiful. "Uh, kid, don't you think it's a little late for selling candy or whatever?" A boy maybe a couple of years older than me ask, I have to say...he was kind of cute. "Don't you think it's rude to answer the door of someone else's home, you idiot?" An older man asked coming from behind him, the boy rolled his eyes and walked away. "Um, Bobby Singer?" I asked hoping it was him because he looked nice.

"Yup, that's me. What can I do for you?" He asked, maybe he was wondering if I was selling candy or something. Honestly, do I look like a girl scout? "Okay, this might sound a little crazy but my name is Shia and my mother, Athena, sent me here. She said you can train me to hunt evil or something." I said feeling kind of stupid to say those things. He didn't think I was crazy, he looked at me with wide eyes. "Come in, this might sound strange but I know exactly who you are. Why don't you go in the kitchen and grab something to eat?" He said as he lead me into the house. I walked in the kitchen only to have three people stare at me. "Uh, hi." I waved awkwardly. God, I hate meeting new people.  
"Who are you?" The boy from earlier asked me. I didn't know if he was being rude or not, maybe he just wanted to know my name. "Well, my name is Shia and I am-" I started to say but my sentence was cut short by Bobby. "John, Sam, Dean this is Shia, my daughter I just adopted. She will be living here now." They all looked at me like they didn't trust me. I could have sworn that John guy wanted to kill me or something the way he was looking at me.

It's been three days since I started my training, nothing has been a challenge for me. Everything came natural for me which was weird because I've never seen of held a gun before. I was already in shape because of soccer and softball I use to play in middle school. Bobby was impressed with how well I took everything in about ghost, demons, and other monsters. I learn pretty quickly so he just talked to me about all the things he knew which I found so interesting.

It's been a month since I been living with Bobby and being known as he daughter. John Winchester took me on my first hunt last week with his sons, I became good friends with Sam and I officially knew I had a small crush on Dean now. I mean he's sixteen, and I'm fourteen, and Sammy is twelve. Whenever I go on a hunt with them, it's always me and Sam stuck with all the research. I made sure I get in a little action, I didn't like staying in a motel bored with nothing to do. John was impressed by how well of a hunter I am.

It's been a year now, and I'm now growing into my powers. I can do lots of things, I can make things move with my mind, I can orb which means I can move from one room to another if I think hard enough. I have speed when it comes to fighting, I have great arm work and even better foot work. I have a lot of other things to master. But, I made a promise to Bobby that I will only use my powers for emergency only.  
Let's be honest. I love it here. I feel like I belong.


	2. Woman In White

Shia's P.O.V  
Ten Years Later.  
I was standing outside of a bar watching a now grown up Sammy interacting with new friends of his, he looked so happy. "Dean, why bother him? He's happy now, we can find John on our own. I'm pretty sure Sam will say the same thing. I'll feel terrible to ask him to come with us." I said watching a couple people leave the bar.

"It's his father, Shia. He'll come. I mean Dad's missing. I know we could find him on our own but we will work faster with Sammy with us. Now, let's go wait in the car until it's time to get him." Dean said walking back to the Impala, opening the car door getting ready to sit in the drivers seat.

We were now in front of Sam's Apartment, I was nervous but I knew we had to get him. I got out the car and starting walking towards the building only to be stopped by Dean. "Whoa, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I'm going to go get Sam. What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" I asked as I walked pass him. Dean grabbed me by the arm, I stopped to look at him.

"I'll go get him, you stay right here and look pretty. Keep an eye on my baby while I'm gone." He told me with a wink, and began to walk away towards the building. Now, all these years he's known me, how many times do I really listen to him. What an idiot? Wait, Is he really climbing inside the window? It's called a door, Dean. I went up the stairs and picked the lock and walked right into the apartment. I saw the two brothers fighting, I miss seeing these like this. I smiled at the sight.

"Whoa, east, tiger." I heard Dean say with a hint of amusement inside his voice. I can also hear Sam breathing hard.

"Dean?" Sam asked. Dean started laughing. "Dean, dude, you scared the crap out of me!"

"That's 'cause you're out of practice." Dean said. Sam grabbed Dean's hand and yanked, slamming his heel into Dean's back and Dean to the floor.

"Or not." Sam tapped Dean twice where Sam is holding him. "Okay, Sammy, Get off of me." Sam rolled to his feet and pulled Dean up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked, clearing confused.

"Well, I was looking for a beer." Dean said seriously, I wonder if they even noticed me in the room. Eh, probably not. I saw Dean put his hands on Sam's shoulder, shaking him once, and letting go.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked clearly not amused by Dean's banter.

"Okay. All right. We gotta talk." Dean said becoming more serious than he was a few moments ago.

"Uh, the phone?" Sam said. I was thinking the same thing, Dean could have at least attempt to call the boy.

"If I'd'a called, would you have picked up?" Dean said. I should probably make my presence known now, should I?

"No, he wouldn't. If you were calling me Dean, I wouldn't have answered." I said making my way towards the boys. Sam turned to look at me a gave me the biggest smile.

"Shia?" He asked. I nodded. He rushed over to me a gave me a big bear hug. I saw dean roll his eyes at me and Sam. Was he jealous or something?  
"What the hell are you doing up here? I told you to wait by the car." Dean said getting upset with me, I bet he wonders why I never listen to him. There's a reason why.

"Maybe I didn't want to wait by your car, I wanted to see Sam. I missed him." I said giving Sam another hug. All of the sudden the lights were flicked on and I can see a blonde, slim young woman standing there looking towards Sam. She was beautiful, I bet that's Jessica, his girlfriend. He told me about her when I last spoke to him...

"Sam?" She asked. She was probably wondering who the hell these people are standing in her living room. The boys turn to look at her.

"Jess. Hey. Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica." Sam told Dean. I didn't like the way he looked at her, I mean she is Sam's girlfriend.

"Wow, Sam, thanks for introducing me." I said feeling a bit left out. I wanted to finally meet her, he wouldn't stop talking about her.

"Oh, Shia, I'm sorry. Jessica, this is my best friend. I told you about her, right?" Sam said smiling at her, she looked at me and then at Dean.

"Wait, your brother Dean? And your best friend, Shia? Oh, and I love your shoes by the way!" She asked Sam, but gave me a compliment right after. I blushed at her saying something sweet to me. I never get many compliments.

"Oh, thanks. Dean bought them for me. The man loves to go shopping for shoes." I said with a smile. Sam chuckled a bit at the thought of Dean shopping. Dean rolled his eyes at me, I know he'll say something about it later. Jessica smiled, Dean grinned at her and moved closer towards her.

"Oh, I love the Smurfs. You know, I gotta tell ya. You are completely out of my brothers league." Dean said to her. I scoffed softly at the comment. There is no way he's trying to flirt with this girl. Jessica shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

"Uh, let me go put something on." Jessica said as she turned around, but Dean stopped her.

"No, no, no. I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously." Dean said with a smirk on his face. He really is flirting with her? What a dick.

After telling Sam the John was missing, we were now walking outside on our way to the car.

"I mean, come on. You can't just break in, middle of the night, and expect me to hit the road with you." Sam said as we walking outside of the building.

"You're not hearing us, Sammy. Dad's missing. I need you to help us find him." Dean said with his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"You remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the Devil's Gates in Clifton? He was missing then, too. He's always missing, and he's always fine." Sam told us trying to prove a point. Dean stopped and turned around, Sam stopped walking when Dean did.

"Not for this long. Now are you gonna come with us or not?" Dean said.

"I'm not." Sam said. Now, I told Dean he wasn't going to come.

"I told you he wasn't going to come with us." I said looking at Dean, he gave me a look that told me to shut up. He really thinks that look scares me?

"Why not?" Dean asked looking at Sam, ignoring my comment completely.

"I swore I was done hunting. For good." Sam said as he crossed his arms.

"Come on. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad." Dean said wrapping his arms around my waist. Dean started to walk off with me beside him. Sam followed us.

"Yeah? When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me a .45." Sam reminded Dean. Wow, John never joked around when it came to monsters. When I told my Mom I scared of the thing in my closet she gave big hugs and a kiss on my cheek. My life was so simple back then.

I was still thinking about my old life, ignoring the whole conversation.

"We can't do this alone, Sammy." Dean said stopping in front of Sam.

"Yes you guys can." Sam said to Dean. I can see that Dean doesn't know what to say. He looked at me and then he looked down.

"Yeah, well, we don't want to. Trust me, Sam, we wouldn't come here if we didn't need you. So, please. Come with us." I told him, I was forcing him to look in my dark brown eyes. I gave him the best puppy dog eyes I could give him. Sam looked at me thinking for a minute.

"What was he hunting?" He asked, giving me a very small smile. Dean smiles and opens the trunk of the Impala, then the spare-tire compartment. It's an arsenal. He props the compartment open with a shotgun and digs through the clutter.

After finally convincing Sam, he agreed to go with us. I climbed in the back seat and went straight to sleep. When I decided to wake up we were at a gas station.

"Oh. Hey, Sam." I said as I reached in my bag to find brush so I could brush my thick black hair. He looked back at me and smiled.

"So, you and Dean, huh?" He asked. I looked at him in a confused way. Wait, did he actually think we were together? No! Absolutely not!

"You mean us? As in together?" I asked him looking at him like he was crazy.

"Yeah, well, you do like him don't you? You did when you were about sixteen. Did he finally ask you out? I can tell you're into him." Sam said as he was looking through Dean tapes.

"Well, of course I like him. He doesn't feel that way about me. Okay? And I was sixteen with braces! Like I had a chance! And look at me now, Sam." I said as I was brushing my hair. He turned around to get a good look at me.

"I don't see anything wrong with you." He said. I always admire that about Sam he always knew how to make me feel better. I looked up to see Dean walk up to the car. He looked at Sam.

"Hey, you want breakfast?" He asked Sam, but he shook his head. Dean looked at me and smiled. "Hey beautiful, want some breakfast?" I looked at him and smiled, he gave me a drink and a bag of powder doughnuts.

"So, how did you pay for all of this stuff? You and Dad still running credit card scams?" Sam asked. Did he actually think we have real jobs or something?

"Yeah, well, hunting isn't exactly pro ball career. Besides all we do is apply, it's not out fault they give them to us." Dean said.

"Yeah, uh huh." Sam said looking towards his brother. I sat there and admired the scene in front of me. I loved these boys. I would do anything to protect them, it was sort of my job anyway. They boys still didn't know that I am Demi-God, I don't plan on telling them. Not yet. Well, John knew. He trusts me now so he knows I would never hurt the boys, I love them too much. We were on the road again, and I thought it would be a good idea to take a little nap. When, I woke up we were in town looking for some girl. I got out the car and starting walking with the boys. I was still half sleep so I don't know too much of what's going on. All of the sudden I feel Deans hand on my ass, I looked at him like he was on drugs.

"And this is my wife Karen." Dean said pulling my against him. I now understand what he was doing, so I played along.

We were at the library now searching up on local deaths. A web browser is open to the archive search page for the Jericho Herald[i]. The words "Female Murder Hitchhiking" are typed into the search box. Dean clicked GO; the screen tells him there are "(0) Result". Dean replaced "Hitchhiking" with "Centennial Highway" with the Same response. Sam was sitting next to him, watching.

" Let me try." Sam said reaching over to take over the keyboard. Dean smacked Sam's hand away.

"I got it." Dean said a little irritated that Sam wanted to take over. Sam shoved Dean's chair out of the way and takes over. I laughed at how shocked Dean looked.

"Dude! I told you I had it!" Dean said scooting back to his spot, he hit Sam in the shoulders. "You're such a control freak." Dean was right, he kind of was a control freak.

"It's not a murder, it's a suicide. Her name was Constance Welch, I believe. She took a dive at that bridge I assume you guys were at earlier. Yeah, I did my research already. Now, come on. We have a ghost to stop." I said as I got up from my chair, and walking towards the library door. I thought I heard Sam whisper something.

"Dean, you should really marry her!" Sam said laughing trying to catch up with me.

We were walking on the bridge alone, it was kind of cold outside. Dean noticed how cold I was getting so he put his arm around my shoulder. We looked over the railing.

"This is where she took a swan dive, huh?" Dean asked me. I nodded, and took a good look down. Man, she had guts. I can barely swim, I could never jump that bridge.

"So, do you guys think dad might have been here?" Sam asked thinking we search for John somewhere around here.

"Well, he's chasing the Same story and we're chasing him." Dean said now wrapping his arm around my waist pulling me close to him. We continued to walk, Sam followed.

"Okay, so now what?" Sam asked.

"Now we keep digging until we find him. Might take a while." Dean said as we walked. He let go of my waist, and he did something that I didn't think he'd ever do. He intertwined our fingers, holding my hand. I looked back at Sam and noticed he stop walking.  
"Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday-" Sam started to say but got interrupted by Dean.

"Monday. Right. The interview." Dean said. I had a feeling that the were about to fight. I didn't like seeing them fight so I sort of zoned out. I realized now that Dean had Sam pinned to the railing I was scared what was about to happen. I turned my head and noticed a women in white.  
"Guys, stop fighting for a second and look!" I said pointing towards the women. We watched as she jumped off the bridge. We ran over towards where she jumped off. I looked for her as if she was alive.

"Where she'd go?" Dean asked extremely confused. He looked at Sam then at me.

"I don't know." Sam said. I was looking around almost frantic like I knew something was about to happen. Dean noticed me looking around.  
"Hey. Shia. You okay? Hey. Look at me. You alright?" Dean asked pulling me into a hug. I nodded holding him tighter. I heard the car start. I turned to look at the car.

"Dean? Who the hell is driving your car? You have your keys, right?" I asked. For moment I wished it was somebody stealing his car. But, I knew no one would be crazy enough to try to steal Dean Winchester's baby. Dean showed me his keys and I had a feeling of what was going happen next. The car started coming after us and we began to run for our lives.

"We have to jump!" Sam said pointing towards the rail. I looked at him horrified.

"What? Are you crazy?!" I screamed. I didn't want to jump, I was too scared. What if I end up like Constance?!

"Just do it!" Dean screamed at me, running towards the rail. I jumped but I refuse to let go. I looked down and I was so scared, I was pulled up by Sam.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked. He knew I was afraid, He was making sure I didn't have some type of panic attack.

"I'm alright. I'm fine." I said. I realized the someone wasn't with us. Oh my God, Dean. "Dean?! Dean!"

"Dean! Dean?!" Sam said sounding as frantic as me. I hope he was okay. I needed him to be okay. I looked down and saw Dean crawling out of the river, he was wet and muddy.

"What?!" Dean asked, he sounded so annoyed and irritated. I looked at Sam and I started laughing uncontrollably. Poor Dean.

"The car okay?" Sam asked a little amused at how dean is looking right now. I was so scared, for a second I thought I lost him, I thought I would never get the chance to tell him how I really feel about him. Anyways, we were now in John's motel room. He figured out that we were dealing with the women in white. Dean was about to head out and get cleaned when I heard Sam say something to him but I was too focused on myself that I only heard Dean's response.

"Hey, no chick flick moments." Dean said waving his hand at Sam to stop what he's saying.

"You're unbelievable." Sam said as he scoffed at his brother comment. I smiled and realized that in a weird way...Dean is good at creating chick flick moments when the time calls for it.

"Alright, bitch." Dean smirked. "Jerk." Sam mumbled. I always liked it when they call each other names it was something that made me smile. After a couple of minutes, Dean was all cleaned up and smelled really good.

"Okay, I'm starving. Anybody else hungry?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head and I mumbled a simple 'No'. Dean thought something was up with me, and he was right. I didn't want to look at him because I know I'll start to cry a little.

"Hey. Shia. You alright?" He asked as he sat down on beside me on the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Okay? Just go get some food. " I said giving him a smile to let him know that I was okay. He smiled at me and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. I was shocked, but I kissed him back, he pulled away and headed for the door.

"I thought you guys weren't a thing?" Sam said. He made it sound more like a question though.

"We're not. At least, I think we're not. I don't know." I said still blushing. I was one happy girl after that kiss. Moments later Sam gets a call from Dean saying we should head because cops were on to us. We went Joesph Welch house and asked a few questions, and our theory was right. We were heading towards Constace old house when Dean called Sam, they were talking and everything. I saw a women in white in the middle of the road, Sam hit the brakes so hard that my head hit the dash board. I was knocked out for most of the hunt. I was pretty upset about it, but we got her though. Mission complete.

We were back at Stanford now, dropping Sam off. He gave me a hug when I moved out of the back seat to get in the front. We watched same go back in his room. I turned to Dean and smiled.

"What?" He asked me scooting a little closer to me. I looked at him and leaned in to kiss him. Our lips touched but we both away when saw smoke coming Sam's apartment.

Jessica was gone. She died in the fire. I felt so bad for Sam, it must have been hard for him. I was standing next to Dean while his arm was wrapped around my waist. We both looked at Sam. He turned to us as he closed the trunk.

"We got work to do."

* * *

**I know this chapter was terrible, but it gets better. I promise. I type this stories on my phone, so if the name Emma pops up...it wasn't my fault autocorrect is a bitch. I should go back and edit but nah. **


	3. Wendigo

Now the story moves to Palo Alto, California. A cemetery. Sam wanders through the graveyard, flowers in hand, heading towards one grave in particular. Jessica's.  
"I...um..." Sam laughs to himself slightly, hearing himself caught for words.  
"You always said roses were..." He continues. "Were lame so I brought you uh..." He stopped, his eyes caught by the small picture of Jessica on the gravestone. He sighed deeply, chocking back his tears. "Jess...oh God...I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth." Saying his piece, Sam moves to set the flowers down on the grave. As his hand reaches up from out of the grave, grabbing a tight hold on Sam's wrist. And Sam jerks awake, sat in the front seat of his brother car with Shia in the back. Shia leaned forward against Sam's chair.  
"You okay?" she asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam replied. Shia nods, knowing all too well that he really isn't.  
"Another nightmare?" In answer, Sam simply clears his throat.  
"You wanna drive for a while?" Dean said, causing Sam to laugh and Shia giving him a confused look. "In your whole life you never asked me that."  
"Just thought you might want to, never mind," Dean said, going back to driving.  
"Can I drive for a while, Dean? It would make me feel better." Shia said leaning forward in the front seat giving Dean a kiss on the cheek.  
"Yeah, and what's wrong with you? Hmm. Exactly nothing. You've been trying to hurt my baby since day one. You will not be driving her that's for damn sure." Dean said now foucusing on the road ahead of him. Dean heard Shia mumble the word 'Dick', but he didn't say anything..he just smiled at her.  
"Look guys, you're worried about me, I get it and thank you but I'm perfectly fine." Sam said looking out the window.  
"Mmhmm," Shia said, still not believing him.  
"Alright, where are we?" Sam asked, bringing about the topic of business. Shia started to look around, because she didn't know where they were at either. She spent the whole time flirting with Dean, so she wasn't so sure of where the were.  
"We are just outside of Grand Junction," Dean answered.  
"You know what? Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon," Sam said, looking over the map again.  
"Sam we dug around there for a week, we came up with nothing," Dean said. "If you want to find the thing that killed Jessica..."  
"We gotta find dad first," Sam finished for him.  
"John's disappearing, and this thing showing up after twenty years, it's no coincidence. John will have answers; he'll know what to do." Shia said leaning forward in her seat again.  
"It's weord man. These coordinates he left us, this Blackwater Ridge." Sam said as he looked over the map again.  
"What about it?" Dean asked.  
"There's nothing there, it's just woods," Sam said, producing the map again to prove his point. "Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?"  
"Hmm. Maybe he's sending us to go hunt a wendigo or something. I mean it is logical to think why he's sending us out there." Shia said looking at both brothers, Dean was the one to disagree with here.  
"No, babe, Wendigos aren't out here. It's got be something else." Dean said as he shook his head.  
"Then what could it be Dean?" Shia asked. Dean just shrugs and continues driving. The best way to find out is to investigate.

Seeking to investigate, the trio arrive at the Lost Creek Visitors Centre.  
"So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote," Shia began to the other two, to which only Sam is listening while Dean is transfixed by the picture on the walls. "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place."  
"Dude check out the size of this freakin' bear," Dean said, motioning to the picture in front of him. Sam and Shia join him by the picture.  
"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area," Shia finishes. "It's no nature hike for sure. Babe, were you even listening to me just then?" Dean looked at her and decided to lie about listening to her.  
"Of course I was listening to you." Dean grinned as he pressed his lips against Shia's lips. Dean pulled away and smiled. "I always listen."  
"You guys aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?" A voice said from behind them. The three turn to what must be the park ranger staring at the trio.  
"Oh no sir," Sam said. "We're environment study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper."  
"We would like to get the opportunity to go out there one of these days but not this week," Shia said giving the man a smile.  
"Recycle, man," Dean pitched in, must to Sam and Shia's dislike. Shia knew the man could see right through Dean's bullshit.  
"Bull," the ranger said, and all three suddenly looked worried. "You're friends with that Hailey girl right?"  
"Oh, yes we are, me and Hay Hay been best friends since Pre-K," Shia said, taking this opportunity to get some information out of him. "Ranger..." She looks at the name tag. "Wilkinson."  
"Well I will tell you exactly what we told her," Ranger Wilkinson began. "Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater till the 24th, so it's not exactly a missing persons now is it?" Dean shook his head in answer.  
"You tell that girl to keep worrying, I'm sure her brothers just fine."  
"We will" Dean said wrapping his arm around Shia's waist and pulling her into him as the ranger began to walk away. "Well that Hailey girl's quite the pistol, huh?"  
"That's putting it mildly," Ranger Wilkinson said, turning back to them.  
"Actually you know what would help is if I could show her a copy of that backcountry permit," Dean suggested. "You know so she could see her brothers return date."

Having got a copy of the permit from Ranger Wilkinson, Sam, Dean, and Shia walked out of the building, Dean laughing smugly.  
"What are you cruising for a hook up or something? Sam said, a little annoyed at something.  
"What do you mean?" Dean asked.  
"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge so what are we waiting for, let's just go find dad. I mean why even talk to this girl?"  
"I dunno maybe we should know what we're walking into before we actually walk into it," Dean answered. He and Shia stared at Sam, not fully understanding what they were hearing come from him.  
"What?" Sam asked.  
"Oh, really?" Dean said as he and Shia followed him into the car.

With the permit and Sam's disapproval, the three went to Hailey's house. Dean knocked, and a girl who had to be Hailey opened the door.  
"You must be Hailey Collins," Dean said in greeting. "I'm Dean, this is Sam and Shia. We're rangers with the park service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over, we wanted to ask you some questions about your brother Tommy."  
"Let me see some ID," Hailey said. Dean held us his fake ID, smiling widely.  
"Here you go." Still not opening the screen door until she was sure, Hailey looked over the ID.  
"Come on in," Hailey said, happy with the ID and opening the screen door. Shia noticed as Dean walked by Hailey checked him out.  
"Thanks," Dean said as he, Sam and Shia made to step into the house. From over his shoulder, Hailey noticed Dean's car.  
"That yours?" she asked looking at the Impala.  
"Yeah," Dean answered proudly.  
"Nice car," she replied before heading into the house, Sam, Dean, and Shia following.

Inside the house, Sam, Dean, and Shia stood around nervously, bombarding Hailey with questions while she brought food bowls from the kitchen to her brother, Ben, who was sat at the dining room table.  
"So if Tommy's not due back for a while, ho do you know something's wrong? Shia asked.  
"He checks in every day by cell reception," Hailey answered. "He sends something everyday, but we haven't heard from him in three days now. Would that worry you a little."  
"Well maybe he can't get reception," Sam suggested.  
"He's got a satellite phone too," was Hailey's answer to that.  
"Could it be he's just having and forgot to check in," Dean said.  
"He wouldn't do that," Ben said suddenly, a little angry. Shia looked at him with shook, that's the first time she heard him talk since she's been near him.  
"Our parents are gone, so it's us," Hailey told the three. "We all keep pretty close tabs on each other."  
"Can I see those pictures he sent you? If you don't mind." Shia asked.  
"Yeah," Hailey said. She got out her lap top and opened up the pictures and video's Tommy had sent them while Sam, Dean and Shia looked over her shoulder.  
"That's Tommy," she said, motioning to a still from the last recording she sent them. She hits the play button and the recording springs to life. They watched the video. Watching the video, Shia frowned slightly as something she had seen in the background. Something she didn't think was meant to be there. Sam saw it too.  
"Well, we'll find your brother" Dean said once the video had stopped. "We're headin' out to Blackwater Ridge first thing."  
"Then maybe I'll see you there," Hailey said as she walked across the room. Sam, Dean and Shia glanced at each other before looking up at Hailey, giving her a look that said they didn't think that was a good idea.  
Shia pulled Sam to the side to let Dean and Hailey talk.  
"Sam, I saw something in that video and I know you did too. You should ask her if she can send that video to us." Shia said, and Sam just nodded walking back toward Hailey, Ben, and Dean.

As per usual, the trio had found the local bar and had gone there to go over thier findings. Shia sat between the two brothers, pulling newspaper articles out to show what they had found so far.  
"So, Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic," Shia began. "Local campers mostly. But still, this past April two hikers went missing out there, they were never found."  
"Any before that?" Dean asked wrapping his arm around Shia's waist.  
"Oh, you know it, Every twenty three years, just like clockwork." Shia said. While she had been talking, Shia had pulled out her laptop, pulling up Tommy's video. "Okay watch this. Here's a clincher. I downloaded that guy, Tommy's, video to the laptop. Check this out." She played the video slowly, frame by frame to show them what she had noticed back at Hailey's. A shadow of something in the back of the tent, moving extremely fast. She replay it so the could get a good look. Hearing this and seeing this the video, Dean reached behind Shia's back and hit Sam on the arm, leaving his arm slung across the seat and round Shia.  
"Told ya something weird was goin' on," he said.  
"I got one more thing," Shia said, "In '59 one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive."  
"Is there a name?" Dean asked. In answer, Shia smiled.

After going to Mr. Shaw's house the trio was now trying to find out what to do with their new information.  
"Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside they just go through the walls," Dean said.  
"So it's probably something else, something corporeal," Shia offered up.  
"Corporeal? Excuse me professor," Dean quipped.  
"Shut up," Shia said, smacking his arm lightly. Dean pretended to be hurt and pulled her in a hug and kissed her hard on the lips. Sam cleared his throat.  
"So what do you think?" Sam asked.  
"The claws, the speed that it moves, could be skin walker, maybe a black dog," Dean suggested. "Whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature and it's corporeal. Which means we can kill it," he finished, leaving the apartment.

Dean stood outside beside his car, loading up with whatever he thought they might need for this hunt, Shia beside him.  
"We cannot let that Hailey girl go out there," Sam said as he stopped beside them.  
"Oh yeah? What are we gonna tell her? Dean said. "That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"  
"Yeah," Sam said simply.  
"Her brother's missing Sam," Dean said. "She's not just gonna sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator-friend."  
"Finding dad's not enough?" Sam said as Dean and Shia stood away from the car, leaving Sam to slam the trunk shut. "Now we gotta babysit too?" Hearing the edge of a true hunter in his voice, something Sam had never cared to be, Dean and Shia stared at him.  
"What?" Sam asked as he watched them both staring. They just shrugged, looking away.  
"Nothin'," they both answered, Dean chucking the duffel bag roughly towards Sam as he and Shia turned and walked away.

The trio arrived by the woods, they all got out of the car walking towards Hailey, Be, and some guy named Roy.  
"Got room for three more?" Dean said as the three stepped out of the car.  
"Wait, you want to come with us?" Hailey asked Dean.  
"Who are these guys and lovely young women?" Roy asked Hailey but he looked at Shia and winked. Roy winking at Shia did not rub Dean the right way. Shia looked at Dean and saw that his jaw clench.  
"Apparently this is all the park service could muster up for search and rescue," Hailey answered.  
"You're rangers?" Roy asked the three who had just arrived.  
"That's right," Dean answered.  
"And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?" Hailey said, looking down at what Dean was wearing. Dean followed her gaze then looked back up at her with a smile on his face.  
"Well sweetheart, I don't do shorts," Dean said as he walked past them. Shia heard what he said and started giggling.  
"What you think this is funny?" Roy said as Sam and Shia strode past him and Dean stopped at his side. "It's dangerous backcountry out there, her brother might be hurt."  
"Trust us, Roy, we now how dangerous it can get." Shia winked at Roy, she turned to look at Dean. He was clearly jealous.  
"What?" Shia asked.  
"You trying to make me jealous?" Dean asked as he raised his eyebrow.  
"Now, why would I do that? You're the only one for me, babe." Shia said walking closely beside Dean.

They were in the woods and Hailey finally figured out they were not Rangers.  
"You didn't pack supervisions," Hailey said as she stepped up to him. "You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers so who the hell are you?" She pulled Dean's arm back, bringing him to a stop. Before answering, he glanced over at Sam, who nodded as he walked away with Ben. Shia moved to follow them but Dean stopped her, grabbing hold of her arm.  
"Sam and I are brothers, and we're looking for our father," Dean said truthfully. "He might be here, we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat."  
"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Hailey asked.  
"I'm telling you now. Besides it's probably the most honest I've ever been with a women. Ever." Dean said honestly.  
"Trust me, he's not lying," Shia added in at his comment. Dean turned to Shia looking at her, for some reason something is bothering her and he wants to figure what. "Uh, Hailey, so we okay?" Dean said, turning back to Hailey. "What do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" Dean finished pulling out a bag of M&Ms as he ans Shia walk away.  
"What was that back there?" Dean asked.  
"What was what?" Shia said avoiding eye contact.  
"The whole 'Trust me, he's not lying,' thing?  
"I don't know, Dean..."  
"You don't think I'm honest with you?"  
"Sure," Shia said, to which Dean took hold of her arm and stopped them both. "Why didn't you introduce me as your girlfriend when you told her Sam was your brother, huh? What you're ashamed of me now?"  
"Hey. No, I will never be ashamed of you! I didn't think it bothered you so much. I'm sorry. Look, I'm still new to this relationship thing, and I have lied about some things..." Dean looked up at Shia properly and found her staring at him, eyebrow raised. "I should probably shut up now, huh?" He added.  
"Yeah, you really should," Shia said as she walked away.

Okay, Roy is dead. They realized that Shia was right from the start they're hunting a ugly ass wendigo. John was never here. Hailey and Dean was captured by the ugly beast. Sam, Ben, and Shia found them in a tunnel.  
"We have to get out of here," Hailey said as she carried the weight of her brother Tommy.  
"Okay, You thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean asked Sam and Shia. They both nodded.  
"Alright, get them out of here!" Dean said.  
"Wait, we weren't thinking the same thing. You can't go alone." Shia said as Dean walked away.  
"I'll be fine, now, go." Dean said giving her a smile. They were running from the Wendigo, but got trapped by a dead end.  
"Get behind me." Sam said as the Wendigo moved closer. Shia stood in front of Sam and she used her powers and moved the wendigo back just by waving her hand, Sam looked at her shocked. Dean shot the Wendigo. Mission Complete.

They were on the road again. Sam was driving. Sam was looking back at Shia. He wanted to ask her so badly.  
"I know you want to know, so I'll tell you. Okay? Both of you guys promise not to freak out. Please?" Shia said as she moved forward to see them better.  
"How did you do it?" Sam asked still in a little shocked. Dean didn't know what was going on.  
"I'm a Demi-God."

* * *

**Another terrible chapter, I know. **


	4. Dead In the Water

"I'm a Demi-God," Shia told the boys. They just stared ahead not knowing what to say. "Whoa, boys, don't get too excited you might pull something."

"Does Bobby know?" Sam asked.

"Uh, yes, he does. Look, guys,I know this is a lot to take in. You have nothing to worried about. I only use my powers for good and emergencies only, like that Wendigo back there. He was going to hurt Sam, I couldn't let that happen. Please, don't think any less of me," Shia stated. She just want them to know that she could never hurt them, she loved those boys more than life itself, she'd give her powers away for one of them.

"Baby, why would we think less of you? Okay. Hey. Look at me. We don't see you any different. We know you could never hurt us. Alright," Dean said looking back at her, he gave a comforting smile letting her know that it was okay.

Three weeks later.  
A little outside of town, Sam, Dean and Shia are in a small diner, having just finished eating. Dean is sat going through the local newspapers, looking for their next gig, while Shia sits beside him, stabbing tiredly at her food. Watching their table, a pretty blonde waitress walks over to them.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked. Dean turned up, pen in mouth, and smiled. Shia rolls her eyes as Sam walks back over to them.

"Oh, honey, the only thing you can get him is the check," Shia tells the waitress.

"Okay," she replies, walking away and still smiling at Dean. Once she is gone, Shia aggressively smacks Dean across the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Dean said, massaging the back of his head. In answer, Shia simple glared at him, then shifted her gaze to the waitress.

"Her!" Dean says, shocked… well actually, not all that shocked at what Shia might be thinking. Still glaring at Dean, Shia folded her arms across her chest.

"I wasn't thinking for myself," Dean said with a cocky smile. "It was for Sam, he'd go for a girl like that.." He nodded towards Sam.

"Yeah, sure," Shia says looking away from him.

"Oh come on! You know I don't think about anyone else but you," Dean says with a cocky grin before kissing her on the lips.

"Hey, Sam, would you go for a girl like that? Because Dean thinks you would totally bang her," Shia said as she motion towards the waitress.

"What? No!" Sam said, finally getting wind of the conversation.

"You know, Sam, you are allowed to have fun once in a while," Dean said, and he motioned over to the waitress and she walked into the kitchen. "That's fun." When Sam doesn't answer, he sighs and hands him the newspaper he had been circling.

"Yeah, fun for you. Here, take a look at this, I think I got one," he said, pointing at the picture of the girl he had circled. "Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, 18, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water—Nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

"A funeral?" Sam questioned.

"They buried an empty coffin. For uh, a closure or whatever," Dean said, not really noticing Sam's tone.

"Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them," Sam said, his voice getting at something more personal to them.

"Something you want to say to me?" Dean said, turning to his brother. Shia rolled her eyes sensing an argument coming.

"The trail for dad—It's getting colder every day," Sam said simply "Exactly, so what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Something, anything.

"You know what? I'm sick of this attitude," Dean said, getting angry. Seeing what can only be described as one of their 'moments', Shia avoided looking at either of them, choosing to concentrate on the newspaper in front of her.

"You don't think we wanna find dad as much as you do?" Dean continued, inadvertently bringing Shia into the conversation.

"Don't bring me into it," Shia mumbled as she was looking over the newspaper again.

"Yeah, I know you do, it's just—" Sam began, cut off by Dean. After only one word, Shia can hear the emotion between both of them and chooses this time to look up.

"We're the ones that have been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies." Being her usual mediator, but for reason of her own, Shia places a hand gently on Dean's shoulder, forcing him to pay attention to her. One look, and the conversation turned calm.

"We will find dad," Dean continued. "But until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?" As if in answer, Sam rolled his eyes. Before Dean can even think about saying anything else, the waitress walks past again, distracting Dean.

"All right, Lake Manitoc," Sam begins. He and Shia look up to see his attention elsewhere. Knowing exactly where his attention is, one thought comes to Shia's mind. Not for him, I'm the only girl he has eyes for, yeah right!

"Babe?!" Shia said, turning Dean's head to face her.

"Huh?" Dean said as his attention was drawn back to Shia.

"How far?" Shia finishes, the edge in her voice telling him he had better keep his attention where it was, or fear getting hit in the head again.

Not that far away, was the answer Dean eventually gave. Driving into the small town, Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up to the Carlton's cabin. They knocked politely and waited until Will Carlton answered the door.

"Will Carlton?" Dean said in greeting.

"Yeah that's right," Will answered.

"I'm Agent Ford," Dean continued, showing Will his badge then motioning towards Sam and Shia. "This is Agent Hamill and Agent Morgan. We're with the U.S. Wildlife Service." Dean noticed Will Carlton eyes on Shia liking what he sees, Will simply gives her a smile. Shia thinking nothing of smiles at him back.

Asking the typical U.S. Wildlife Service questions, Sam, Dean and Shia walked with Will out to the lake. The four stopped at the edge of the water, while Bill Carlton sat alone on a bench at the end of the dock.

"She was about 100 yards out," Will told them. "That's where she got dragged down."

"Are you sure she didn't just drown?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as she was in her own bathtub."

"So no splashing? No signs of distress?" Sam asked.

"No, that's what I'm telling you," Will answered.

"Did you see any shadows in the water?" Shia asked. "Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?"

"No. Again, she was really far out there."

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean asked.

"No, never. Why? What do you think's out there?" Will asked finally.

"We'll let you know as soon as we do," Shia replied as her and Dean turned back to walk to the car.

"What about your father?" Sam asked, still stood where he was and looking out over the dock. "Can we talk to him?" At the mention of his father, Will turned to watch him, still sat on the bench, motionless.

"Look, if you don't mind, I mean… he didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot," Will said.

"We understand," Sam said, turning and walking to the car with Dean and Shia.

"Wait, Agent Morgan," Will says to Shia as she turns around to look at him. "I'm going through a lot, and you seem fun to talk to. Can I have your personal number so we can talk sometime?" Will asking her that question took her by surprise. Was he hitting on her?

"Uh, sure, I don't see why not," Shia said with a smile giving him her number.

"She has a boyfriend that's why not!" Dean whispered to Sam, he gave Dean a look that was telling him she wasn't interested in Will. Shia made her way over to the car, getting in, Dean gave her a look.

"What?" Shia asked. Dean just turned around and started the car.

Next stop for the trio, the local police station. Still using their identities as U.S. Wildlife Service, Sam, Dean and Shia were now talking to the sheriff, Jake.

"Now, I'm sorry, but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?" Jake asked as he guided them towards his office.

"You sure it's accidental?" Sam said. "Will Carlton saw something grab his sister."

"Like what?" Jake said, following the trio into his office and closing the door. "Here sit please," Jake said, and they did, sitting in front of the desk as Jake sat behind it.

"There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake," Jake continued. "There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness monster."

"Yeah…." Dean said with a laugh, turning to Sam and Shia. "Right."

"Will Carlton was traumatized," Jake said. "And sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still, we dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird though," Shia began, leaning forward slightly. "I mean that's… that's the third missing body this year."

"I know," Jake said, his voice full of emotion. "These are people from my town. These are people I care about."

"I know," Shia said sympathetically.

"Anyway," Jake went on, sighing and leaning back into his chair. "All this—It won't be a problem much longer."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, forgetting about their fake personas.

"Well the dam, of course," Jake said, eyeing the three suspiciously now.

"Of course… the dam," Dean said. "It's uh… sprung a leak."

"It's falling apart," Shia corrected. "And the feds won't give them the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months there won't be much of a lake." Jake just simply nodded at Shia. Sam and Dean looked at her. How the hell did she know that?

"Right," Dean said, smiling nervously. Before Jake could question them about their lake of knowledge on the subject, there was a light tapping on the door and the room turned to see a young girl stood in the doorway.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" she said quietly. "I can come back later."

"Gentlemen and Young woman, this is my daughter," Jake said, standing up.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean," Dean said, extending a hand which she took.

"Andrea Bar," the girl introduced herself. "Hi."

"Hi," Dean replied, letting go of her hand.

"They're from the Wildlife Service about the lake," Jake said, and Sam, Dean and Shia could sense something in what they were saying. Like there was something that wasn't being said. Andrea's remark helped the theory along.

"Oh," she said, clearly keen to avoid the subject. And the opportunity came as a small boy walked in from behind Andrea.

"Oh hey there," Dean said as he walked in. "What's your name?" Without saying a word, the boy walked away, followed quickly by Andrea.

"His name is Lucas," Jake told them as they continued to watch Andrea and Lucas. One look at the two of them and it was very clear they were mother and son.

"Is he okay?" Sam asked as the three turned back to Jake.

"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have." Trying to change and avoid the subject, Jake motioned Sam, Dean and Shia out of his office. "Well if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

"Thanks," Dean said, stopping beside Andrea and Lucas. "You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced hotel."

"Lakefront motel," Andrea told them. "Go around the corner, it's about two blocks south."

"Two—Would you mind showing us?" Dean said. Andrea laughed slightly, and Sam rolled his eyes. Shia, on the other hand, chose not to stay and walked out of the police station before the others. Why would she want to be around him while he flirts with other women?

"You want me to walk you two blocks?" Andrea asked.

"Not if it's any trouble," Dean said pointedly.

"I'm headed that way anyway," she said, turning to her father. "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at three." She then turned to the boy in question.

"We'll go to the park, okay sweetie?" she said, kissing the top of his head and leading Sam and Dean out of the police station. Dean waved as he walked out and Jake nodded their way.

"Thanks again," Sam said as he followed Dean and Andrea out.

Outside, Shia had joined back up with Sam and Dean, and the three were following Andrea down the road.

"So… cute kid," Dean said, attempting a conversation starter.

"Thanks," Andrea simply said.

"Kids are the best, huh?" Dean continued. While Shia rolled her eyes, Andrea just ignored his comment, stopping outside the Lakefront Motel.

"There it is. Like I said. Two blocks," Andrea pointed out.

"Thanks," Sam said.

"Must be hard with your sense of direction," Andrea said to Dean. "Never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." At her words, Shia let out a small burst of laugh and tried to hide it with a quick cough.

"Enjoy your stay!" Andrea called back to them as she walked away. Once she was out of earshot, Shia turned back to Dean.

"'Kids are the best'?" she said, repeating his phrase. "You don't even like kids."

"I love kids," Dean said defensively.

"Yeah? Name three children that you even know," Shia said. Lifting his hand in order to count of the numbers, Dean began to think. And no names came to mind. Knowing she would be here all day if she waited for Dean to think of this answer, Shia waved her hand in a 'forget it' manner and walked towards the motel, followed by Sam.

"I'm thinking!" Dean said, following them and scratching his head in thought.

Inside there room in the Lakeside Motel, two blocks from the police station, Shia sat at the table with her laptop out.

"So there's the three drowning victims this year," Shia told the boys.

"Any before that?" Sam asked.

"Uh yeah…" Shia said, pulling up more sites. "Six more spread out over the past 35 years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up its pace."

"So what, we got a lake monster on a binge?" Dean suggested.

"This whole lake monster thing—It, It just bugs me," Shia said.

"Why?" Dean asked, him and Sam moving closer behind Shia.

"Loch Ness, uh Lake Champlain—There are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, almost nothing. Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it."

Noticing something on one of the accounts Shia had up, Dean pointed it out to her and Sam.

"Wait, Bar, Christopher Bar. Where have I heard that name before?"

"Christopher Bar, the victim in May," Shia began, reading the page. She opened up the link to bring up more information and a picture. One of Lucas, soaking wet with a towel wrapped round him and a officer by his side.

"Oh… Christopher Bar was Andrea's husband. Lucas' father," Shia continued. "Apparently, he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned, two hours before the kid got rescued."

"Maybe we have an eyewitness after all," Sam said, looking down at the article.

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over."

At his words, Shia turned in her seat and looked up at Dean. In those few words, and from the look in his eyes, she could guess at what was running though his kind. She just wished she knew for sure. She wished that, just once in a while, Dean would think about opening up to her. But then again, Dean wasn't that sort of guy. Never had been, never would be. No matter how hard she tried, just to get him to talk to her. Tell her what was going on in that mind of his.

Sometimes she realised, even when they were so different, Sam and Dean were so alike. Neither would open up, say what they were going through. It was the way they were brought up. To be brave. But neither of them knew, the bravest thing you could do, was ask for help when you needed it.

Looking for their one and only lead in this case, Sam, Dean and Shia found Andrea and Lucas in the park. Andrea was sat on the outskirts on a bench, watching Lucas play.

"Can we join you?" Sam said as they stepped up to her.

"I'm here with my son," Andrea said, looking briefly up at them.

"Oh…. Mind if we say hi?" Dean said, walking towards Lucas and practically dragging Shia along with him. Watching them leave, Andrea laughed slightly and turned to Sam as he sat next to her.

"Tell your friend those whole 'Jerry Maguire' thing's not gonna work on me," she told him.

"I don't think that's what this is about," Sam said honestly.

"Does she have kids?" Andrea asked.

"Who? Shia? No. She doesn't have kids, she's good with them though," Sam said looking out to see Shia and Dean talking to Lucas, he took a mental note in asking if she wanted kids one day.

While Sam and Andrea sat talking, Dean and Shia walked over to Lucas, who was sat leaning against a bench and coloring, with toy soldiers set up beside him.

"How's it goin?" Dean said as he and Shia stopped at the bench beside Lucas. They both knelt down so they were sat in front of Lucas. Trying to make conversation, Dean picked up one of the toy soldiers.

"Oh I used to love these things," he said. And acting like the big kid he was, he started making gun noises and explosions, throwing one of the soldiers down like it had been shot. Begging him to stop, Shia gave him a look and Dean took the hint.

"So crayons is more your thing?" he continued. "That's cool. Chicks dig artists. You drawing like this will get you girls in middle school. Trust me." Shia scoffed softly at his comment and began looking through the pile of pictures Lucas had drawn. Normal drawings for a kid. Houses, bicycles, huge black swirls.

"Hey these are pretty good," Shia said, dropping the pictures.

"You mind if I sit and draw with you for a while?" Dean said, picking up a crayon. "I'm not so bad myself."

Dean sat on the table beside Lucas, picking up a pad of paper. Shia also moved, leaning against Dean's knee as he drew.

"You know, I'm thinking you can hear me; you just don't want to talk," Dean began. "I don't know exactly what happened to your dad, but I know it was something real bad. I think I know how you feel. When I was your age, I saw something."

Seeing the emotion in his eyes again, Shia hugged Dean's knee quickly. He didn't wanna talk about it, and pulling it out of him wouldn't help.

"Anyway…" Dean said, swallowing slightly as he continued. "Well maybe you don't think anyone will listen to you, or uh… or believe you. I want you to know that I will. You don't even have to say anything, you could draw me a picture about what you saw that day with your dad on the lake."

Lucas didn't do or say anything. He just continued to draw.

"Okay, no problem," Dean said. "This is for you," he finished, handing the picture to Lucas.

"This is my family," he said, pointing out the different people.

"That's my dad." At the next person, Dean paused slightly before skipping quickly over the name. "That's my mom. That's my geek brother, and that's me and this is my beautiful girlfriend." At her mention, Dean ran his fingers roughly through Shia's hair. She smiled, both of them looking at Lucas and waiting for a reaction that didn't come.

"All right, so I'm a sucky artist," Dean said finally, dropping the pad.

"See you around, Lucas," Shia said as both of them stood up and left.

Once Dean and Shia had left his sightline, Lucas picked up Dean's drawing, staring down at it.

Walking back over to Sam and Andrea, Dean and Shia joined in with the conversation that was already in full flow.

"Lucas hasn't said a word," Andrea was saying to Sam. "Not even to me—Not since his dad's accident."

"Yeah we heard. Sorry," Dean said as he and Shia stopped beside them.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asked.

"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress," Andrea told them.

"That can't be easy, for either of you," Shis said sympathetically."We moved in with my dad," Andrea said. "He helps out a lot. It's just… when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw…."

"Kids are strong," Dean added, trying to be supportive. "You'd be surprised what they can deal with."

"You know, he used to have such life," Andrea said with a smile on her face at the memories. "He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth. Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish…." Andrea paused as Lucas walked up to them.

"Hey sweetie," Andrea said as he stopped beside Dean. Without a word, he held a picture out to Dean. The picture was of what looked like a cabin or hut.

"Thanks… Thanks Lucas," Dean said as Lucas walked back to his table, Andrea watching him curiously.

Back in the motel room, and it's just Dean and Shia. Shia sat watching Dean with a smile on her face as he flicked through his fathers journal, trying to find an answer to this mystery of a case.

"You know, I didn't know you were so good with kids," Shia said, finally breaking the silence.

"Don't worry babes," Dean said, not looking up. "There's a lot about me you don't know yet."

"Yeah, that has come to light recently," Shia said, not all too sure if she wanted Dean to hear it or not.

"Meaning?" Dean said, turning to her.

"Well, I know you never talk about Mary, but…." Shia began, but Dean cut her off as he sighed loudly and turned away.

"Come on Dean," Shia said, insistent on sticking to the subject this time. "That stuff you said with Lucas today. I was there too, you can't expect me to forget it. Were you thinking about Mary?"

"I didn't say anything about my mom," Dean said simply.

"No, but you were thinking it," Shia said. She knew it was the truth when Dean stayed quiet.

"I get it, you know," Shia continued softly. "I know you think I don't, but I do." Dean turned and slowly came eye to eye with Shia.

"Shia, it's just… I'm just…." Shia let out a gentle laugh as Dean trailed off.

"I get that too," Shia said, knowing exactly what he meant. "I just want you to know that when you are, you've got me." Smiling at her, Dean softly stroked Shia cheek as she smiled back. He leant in and kissed her, lacing his fingers through her hair. The kiss deepens as she pulls him closer to her, Dean starts kissing her neck while his hands roam her body. They pull apart when Sam walks in.

"So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie," Sam said as an hello.

"What do you mean?" Shia asked.

"I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there," Sam answered. "Will Carlton is dead."

"He drowned?" Dean asked.

"Yep, in the sink," Sam announced, to which both Dean and Shia stared at him.

"What the hell?" Dean said. "So you're right, this isn't a creature; we're dealing with something else."

"Yeah, but what?" Sam questioned.

"I don't know. A water wraith maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water…." Something came to Dean. "Water that comes from the same source."

"The lake," Shia said as all three came to the same conclusion.

"Yeah," Dean remarked.

"Which would explain why it's upping the body count," Shia continued. "The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time."

"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere," Dean said. "This is gonna happen again soon."

"And we do know one other thing for sure," Sam said. "We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton."

"Yeah, It took both his kids. Damn, I'm starting to feel bad for the poor guy," Shia said, giving the obvious answer, although it was clear the Sam knew something they didn't.

"And I've been asking around," Sam began to tell them. "Lucas' dad, Chris—Bill Carlton's godson."

"Let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit," Dean said, standing up and throwing his jacket on.

Up at Bill Carlton's house and he is again sat on the bench at the end of the dock, string out blankly at the water.

"Mr. Carlton," Sam said, announcing their presence as he, Dean and Shia walked up the dock. Shia looked around at the water, she was starting to feel nervous, Shia can't swim and being around water scares her.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind," Shia said as they stopped beside him.

"We're from the Department.…" Dean continued, but was cut off by a distraught Bill Carlton.

"I don't care who you're with," he said, not looking up at them. "I've answered enough questions today."

"Your son said he saw something in that lake," Sam continued. "What about you? You ever see anything out there? Mr. Carlton, Sophie's drowning and Will's death—We think there might be a connection to you or your family."

"My children are gone," Bill Carlton said, cutting into Sam's speech. "It's… it's worse than dying. Go away… please."

Seeing what was clearly a distraught father, Shia turned to leave, making sure the boys followed her and didn't try to ask any more questions.

Sam, Dean and Shia made their way back to the car, discussing what little they had just found out.

"What do you think?" Sam asked the other two.

"Aw, I think the poor guy's been through hell. He's depressed, I would be too if I lost both of my babies," Shia said.

"I also think he's not telling us something," Dean added as they stopped beside the car which was parked outside of Bill Carlton's House. Dean stared up at the house, noticing something suddenly.

"What is it?" Shia asked, seeing the way Dean was looking up at the house.

"Huh. Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something," Dean replied, pulling Lucas' picture from his pocket. It was a pretty accurate resemblance of the house in front of them. Pointing it towards Sam and Shia, they too saw the connection he did. Lucas.

Picking up on one of the best leads they had since they started this case, Sam, Dean and Shia went to Andrea's house to speak to Lucas.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea," Andrea had said after Dean had asked to speak to him.

"I just need to talk to him, just for a few minutes," Dean continued persistently.

"He won't say anything, what good's it gonna do?" Andrea said.

"Andrea, we think more people might get hurt," Sam said, trying to get through to her the best he could. "We think something's happening out there."

"My husband, the others—They just drowned," Andrea said, truly believing that. "That's all."

"If that's what you really believe then we'll go," Shia said, trying to be comforting and persistent at the same time, something she had had to learn to master with Dean.

"But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let me talk to your son," Dean finished, desperately needing her to say yes.

And she said yes. Sam, Dean, Shia and Andrea all walked to the doorway of Lucas' room, watching him drawing with the toy soldiers spread out around them. Dean carried on walking further into the room, kneeling in front of me.

"Hey Lucas. You remember me?" He looks down at the pictures Lucas has drawn, seeing two more pictures of a red bicycle.

"You know, I, uh… I wanted to thank you for that last drawing," Dean continued. "But the thing is, I need your help again." Giving no kind of response to the fact that Dean was there, Lucas continued drawing what looked like a person in water. Watching him, Dean opened up the picture Lucas had given him, laying it down in front of him.

"How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me." Lucas said nothing.

"You're scared," Dean went on. "It's okay, I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too."

Knowing it was all coming out now, Dean glanced quickly up at Shia standing by the doorway, suddenly wishing all this had come out earlier.

"I didn't feel like talking, just like you," Dean said as he turned back to Lucas. "But see, my mom—I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe… your dad wants you to be brave, too."

Finally giving a reaction, Lucas dropped his crayon and looked up at Dean. Still watching him, he handed him another picture, this one of a church, a small house and a boy with a red bicycle.

"Thanks, Lucas," Dean said, watching as he went back to his drawings.

Searching for the location in the picture, Sam, Dean and Shia were driving away from Andrea's.

"Andrea said the kid never drew like that till his dad died," Dean said, his eyes on the road.

"There are cases going through a traumatic experience could make people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies," Sam suggested.

"Whatever's out there, what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow?" Dean asked the car collectively. "I mean it's only a matter of time before somebody else drowns." Sam looked a little less than convinced, and Dean picked up on this.

"If you got a better lead, please," Dean said. And Sam didn't.

"All right… we got another house to find," he said, looking down at the picture.

"The only problem is there's about a thousand yellow two-stories in this county alone," Dean said.

"See this church?" Sam said, motioning the picture towards Dean and Shia. "I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here."

"Oh, college boy thinks he's so smart," Dean joked. The other two laughed slightly, leaving a small silence when they stopped. Pushing out of the silences, Shia leaned against Dean's seat from the back of the car.

"You know, um… what you said about Mary… that's one of those things you never told me before," Shia said, going back to their previous conversation in the motel.

"It's no big deal," Dean said, brushing it off. But Shia carried on staring at Dean from her position, making him slightly uncomfortable at the look she was getting in her eyes.

"Oh God, it's not gonna be one of those moments, is it?" he said. Shia laughed softly, wrapping herself loosely round Dean's neck and kissing his cheek. Now this was the Dean she was used to… and could deal with, unfortunately.

Looking now for the church and not just the house, Sam, Dean and Shia eventually found the scene inside Lucas' picture.

The yellow house was owned by an old women living on her own who seemed shocked to see three strange young people standing on her doorstep.

"We're sorry to bother you ma'am, but does a little boy live here, by chance?" Dean said and the shock suddenly turned to sorrow. "He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle."

"No sir. Not for a very long time," she began, letting them into her house and telling the story. "Peter's been gone for 35 years now. The police never—I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared."

While she was talking, something caught Shia's eyes. A set of toy soldiers set out on the table. She pointed them out to Dean, both of them thinking the same thing. Maybe there was another reason why Lucas had been playing with them.

"Losing him," the woman continued. "You know, it's… It's worse than dying." Similar looks of realization came over Sam, Dean and Emma's face at the use of a phrase they had heard only once before.

"Did he disappear from here," Dean asked, knocking away the look. "I mean, from this house?" the woman shook her head.

"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up," she said. Dean's attention was now drawn by something else. Walking to the table, Dean pulled a picture of two boys from the mirror, one with a red bicycle. He turned it over and read from the back.

" 'Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton, 1970.' " he looked over at Sam and Shia. Another connection, leading straight to Bill Carlton. The trio headed for the door.

"Wait, young lady," Ms. Sweeney said. Shia stopped and looked at her.

"Ma'am?" Shia asked.

"When you have children, keep a close eye on them. Please," Ms. Sweeney said to Shia. Shia looked at her with great sympathy in her eyes.

"Oh, trust me, I won't let anyone take my babies," Shia turning to head for the door. Dean walked with her back to the car.

"So, you want kids?" Dean asked.

"Honestly. I did, but with this job...you can't," Shia said looking towards the ground. "We should hurry to get to Bill Carlton's house." Dean nodded and head towards the car, getting in and driving off.

Now in the car, Sam, Dean and Shia were driving down to Bill Carlton's place, going over everything they knew about this case.

"Okay this little boy, Peter Sweeney, vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow," Sam said.

"Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something, huh?" Dean continued.

"And Bill—The people he loves—Are all getting punished."

"So what if Bill did something to Peter?"

"What if Bill killed him?" Shia added, speaking up.

"Then Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge. It's possible," Dean finished as they pulled up to Bill Carlton's house, getting out of the car and checking round for him.

"Mister Carlton?" Sam and Shia called into the air. And in answer the sound of an engine broke through the silence of the lake.

"Hey, check it out," Dean said as the trio turned to see Bill Carlton driving out onto the lake in a boat. Trying to keep him off the lake and live for as long as possible, Sam, Dean and Shia raced to the dock, yelling out to him.

"Mister Carlton!" they called out in unison. "You need to come back! Come out of the water! Turn the boat around!"

But Bill Carlton didn't. He simply turned to give the three a quick glance before driving further out. And as he went out further, a torrent of water rose up beneath his boat, sending him and the boat spiraling through the air. Sam, Dean and Shia jumped back in horror as the boat and Bill Carlton sank beneath the surface. She turned to look elsewhere. Dean grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

The trio ended up getting kicked out of town, Sam and Shia thought the job was done but Dean thought otherwise. They went back to town and headed for Andrea's house, she was going to drown in the bathtub until the trio came in and saved her.

While Sam and Shia were comforting Andrea, Dean was in the other room flipping through old scrapbooks. He had now picked one up that said 'Jake – 12 years old'. Flicking through the pages, his eyes widened as he stopped on one, racing back to Sam, Shia and Andrea. He laid the book down in front of Andrea, showing a picture of a Boy Scouts group.

"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?" Dean said, pointing to the picture in question.

"What? Um… Um, no," she said, glancing over the picture quickly then pointing to one of the boys. "I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about 12 in these pictures." She moved her finger over to a different picture, one of her father with Peter Sweeney

"Chris Bar's drowning," Dean said, turning up to Sam and Shia. "The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to sheriff."

"Bill and the sheriff," Shia concluded. "They were both involved with Peter."

"What about Chris?" Andrea said, reminding them she was still there. "My dad—what are you talking about?" From the corner of his eye, Dean watched noticed Lucas walk into the room and stare out of the window.

"Lucas?" Dean said, causing the other to turn in that direction. "Lucas, what is it?" As an answer, Lucas opened the door and walked out, the other four following him.

"Lucas, honey?" Andrea called as they walked after him. He carried on walking, stopping by a section of ground. He looked down at it then looked up at Dean who had stopped beside him.

"You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" Dean told Andrea. She did so, pulling Lucas away to the house.

Moments later and Sam and Dean are digging into the spot of ground Lucas had stopped at, Shia watching carefully beside them. Their spades hitting against something with a thud, Sam and Dean reached into the ground to pull out whatever they had hit, Shia moving closer beside them. It was a red bicycle.

"Peter's bike," Sam said.

"Who are you?" Jake's voice echoed from behind the. Sam, Dean and Shia all turned to find him standing there with a gun aimed at them.

"Put the gun down, Jake," Shia said, calmer than she felt.

"How did you know that was there?" Jake said, not lowering the weapon.

"What happened," Dean said, not trying to stay calm at all. "You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried."

Outside, Sam, Dean and Shia were still trying to get Jake to lower his gun and tell them what they needed to know.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Jake said once they had tried to explain their version of events to him.

"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney 35 years ago,' Dean repeated. "That's what the hell I'm talking about."

"Dad!" Andrea called as she ran up to them.

"And now you got one seriously pissed off spirit," Dean continued.

"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love," Sam said, being the rational one as usual. "It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies God knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Jake said, gun still aimed high.

"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton," Shia finished.

"Listen to yourselves, the three of you. You're insane," Jake said.

"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us," Dean said, and he really didn't. "But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake."

Back with the adult group, Andrea had now had chance to hear the whole story.

"Dad, is any of this true?" she asked.

"No. Don't listen to them," Jake said, never taking his eyes off Sam, Dean and Shia. "They're liars and they're dangerous."

"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me," Andrea called, and he did. "Tell me you—you didn't kill anyone." Not able to lie to his daughter, Jake turned away, lowering the gun and breathing heavily.

"Oh my God," Andrea whispered, clasping her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Billy and I were at the lake," Jake said, beginning to re-tell the whole story. "Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time… it got rough. We were holding his head under the water, we didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank. Oh Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost… it's not rational."

"All right listen to me, all of you," Dean said. "We need to get you away from this lake as far as we can right now."

They were distracted as a gasped echoed from Andrea. They all turned in the direction her eyes had travelled to find Lucas heading down towards the dock.

"Lucas!" Jake called as the group ran to him. By the lake, Lucas knelt by the dock, reaching his hand towards the surface of the water, Peter's voice still echoing out.

"Come play with me."

"Lucas!" Dean called as they got closer.

"Lucas! Baby stay where you are!" Andrea called out. From under the water, a hand came up, pulling Lucas below the surface just as Sam, Dean, Shia, Andrea and Jake reached the edge of the water. Jake is the only one to stop, frozen in place as he sees Peter's head just above the water surface, watching him before he dives back under.

Sam, Dean, Shia and Andrea continued running, Sam and Dean diving quickly into the water without slowing.

"Oh my God!" Andrea called in shock, pulling off her jacket and heading to the edge of the dock after Sam and Dean.

"Andrea, stay here," Shia called, holding her back.

"No, Lucas!" Andrea screamed, struggling under Shia's hold.

"They'll get him just stay on the dock," Shia said, keeping hold of Andrea as her struggles lessened. They stayed on the dock, watching as Sam dove under and Dean came up for breath. Moments later, Sam was up as well.

"Sam?" Dean called, asking. Sam shook his head.

"Lucas where are you," Andrea called, tears in her eyes. As Sam and Dean dove back under the surface, Jake pulled off his jacket and waded into the lake.

"Peter," Jake called over the water. "If you can here me. Please Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so—I'm so sorry."

"Daddy, no," Andrea screamed, falling to her knees as Shia kept a hold on her trying to comfort her.

"Peter," Jake continued. "Lucas—He's just a little boy. Please, it's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me."

"Jake, no!" Dean called as he came up to the surface and saw the commotion above water. But Jake didn't listen. He continued to shout as Pete swam up underneath him.

"Just let it be over!" he called. And it was as Peter dragged him under the surface.

"Daddy! Daddy! No!" Andrea screamed, utterly distraught. Sam and Dean dive under again, Sam surfacing shortly after and shaking his head to Andrea. Andrea continued to cry. Shia looked in the lake and thought she saw someone.

"Lucas? Peter?" Shia asked as she leaned forward to get a good look. It was Peter. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her into to the water. Andrea screamed as she saw Shia get drag in.

As she cried, thinking she had now lost both her father and her son, Dean surfaced from the water, Lucas tight in his arms.

"Dean! It has Shia! It took her down!" Andrea screamed as she was holding on to Lucas. Dean became frantic he did what came natural, so he jumped back in and attempted to save his girlfriend. Moments later Dean came to the surface and had Shia in his arms, Sam rushed over to help him. Dean tried everything, but she wasn't breathing.

"Come on! Wake up! You can't leave me like this! Come on, please. I need you be okay. We can stop hunting for a while, we could go live a normal life. Maybe next year we could get married. We can have a couple of babies. I need you to be okay! Damn it, Shia," Dean yelled as he held on to her lifeless body. Sam was now in tears, he thinks he just lost his best friend.

"Dean, she's gone-" Sam started to say but Dean didn't want to hear it.

"Don't you say that to me, just don't." Dean said holding on to her. At that moment his world was crashing down, they haven't been officially dating long, but they've known each other for years. He was in love with her, he loved everything about her. He loved how everyone around her could be sad, but she would find a way to make them happy. She was easy to talk to. She had the weirdest laugh, it was cute to him though. He loved the way her hair would curl up in humid weather when she just straighten it minutes before. He loved that see wasn't skinny or super thin, he loved her voluptuous body. He loved how her dark brown eyes look light brown in the sun, he loved her brown skin...Dean loved everything about her...now she's gone.

Sam stared at Dean, he couldn't believe it. He best friend was gone, he couldn't deal with another heartbreak. First Jessica, now this. He looked at Shia for a minute, he finger moved. Moments later her body wasn't show lifeless anymore. She started to cough of a massive amount of water. Dean started to kiss her face, he was holding on her tightly. Sam pulled Shia away from Dean so he could give her a hug.

"Whoa, boys, what the hell happened?" Shia asked, her voice was raspy from all the coughing she did. Sam just simply smiled at and pulled her into another hug.

Dried off and ready to put this town behind them, Sam, Dean and Shia walked out of their motel room and to the car. Watching Dean as she walked beside him, Shia knew what Dean was thinking. It was written clearly across his face.

"Look, we're not gonna save everybody," she said as they stopped by the car.

"I know," Dean replied, but the look on his face was still there.

"Sam, Dean, Shia," Andrea's voice called out to them as she and Lucas walked up to the three.

"Hey," Dean said as they stopped in front of the car.

"We're glad we caught you. We just um, we made you lunch for the road," Andrea said, motioning to the tray in Lucas' hands. "Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself."

"Can I give it to them now?" Lucas spoke up softly. The group smiled, Andrea kissing Lucas gently on his forehead.

"Of course," she replied.

"Come on Lucas; let's load this into the car," Dean said, guiding Lucas to the car and leaving Sam and Shia with Andrea.

"How you holding up?" Shia asked.

"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?" Andrea said, emotion clear in her voice.

"Andrea, I'm sorry," Shia said sympathetically.

"You guys saved my son," Andrea said with a small smile. "I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that."

At the car, Dean loaded the sandwiches into the car and turned in his seat to face Lucas.

"All right, if you're gonna be talking now, this is a very important phrase, so I want you to repeat it one more time," Dean said with all sincerity.

"Zeppelin rules!" Lucas repeated.

"That's right. Up high," Dean said, holding up his hand which Lucas high fived.

"You take care of your mom, okay?" Dean said, standing out of the car.

"All right," Lucas said as Sam, Shia and Andrea walked up to them. Leaning against the car door, Andrea leaned forward and quickly kissed Dean.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled away. For a minute, Dean was little bemused from the kiss. But then again, the way woman changed their minds so often had always confused him.

"Sam, Shia, move your asses," Dean said, turning away and moving to the drivers side. "We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road." Sam and Shia followed him into the car, the three of them smiling as Andrea and Lucas waved goodbye as they pulled away.

Driving away, the three drove in almost complete silence, the radio the only sound. As he drove, Dean watched Shia in the rear-view mirror. She was slouched against the seat, gazing distractedly out of the window.

"Shia, are you…." Dean began. He was distracted as she leaned forward, wrapping her arms loosely round Dean's neck and smiling.

"Don't ask," she said, kissing him as he turned slightly to look her way."You don't have to. You saved my life, Dean. Thank you."

Smiling, Dean turned back to the road, his free hand laced in Shia's as she held her arms round his neck still. Watching them from the corner of his eyes, Sam smiled softly. He always wondered what kept his brother and his best friend together. As long as they were happy, he was happy.


	5. Family

(Takes place a week after "Dead In The Water" and two weeks before "Phantom Traveler").

Shia was in the motel room alone reading through books about other Supernatural beings that she and the Winchesters might run into one day, she was getting really into the book when she heard a faint knock at the door. She walked slowly over to the door with a gun in her hand, she opened the door to reveal a young man at little older than herself.

"Uh, hi, how can I help you?" Shia asked politely. She gave the young man a smile, for some reason she felt a connection with him.

"You must be Shia, It's great to finally meet you," The man said returning the smile she gave him. "Is it alright if I come in? We have to talk." Shia looked at him contemplating if she should invites him in or not, she nodded. He gave her a sweet smile before walking past her.

"Look, dude, no offense or anything but who the hell are you?" Shia asked as she walked towards him. She noticed his appearance. He was about 6'2". He had dark brown hair, and light brown skin. His eyes were a beautiful gray. She felt like she knows him.

"I'm your brother, Shia. I know it might sound crazy put Athena is my mother. I met her about ten years ago when I was eighteen, she came to me in my dorm room at a University I use to attend. She told me about my siblings and how we are all destined for something. I'm pretty sure she didn't tell you about me or other brother Michael. Oh, I'm being rude. I'm Julius," He said gesturing for a hand shake, Shia looked at him for a minute and took action into her own hands. She waved her hand throwing him against the wall, she thought of holy water and it appeared in her hands, she took the flask off and threw holy water on him. She looked at him. He didn't burn.

"I'm not a demon! I'm your brother," Julius said getting up. He walked slowly towards her. "Please, trust me."

"What he says is true, you are our sister," a deep voice behind her said. Hmm. He must be Micheal. He was about 5'11". He had jet black hair, but his hair was short. He had dark brown eyes and dark skin. He walked over to Julius to stand beside him.

"Okay, I get it! You're my brothers. What the hell do you want? And why am I just not finding out about this? What's going on? Tell me now," Shia said looking at them softly. She saw some similar features, the have the same form of smile. They have similar noses, Athena's nose. Damn it, she has brothers. Great, more men in her life. "Wait, I thought I was Athena's only child?"

"No, you are her only daughter," Michael corrected.

"How many of us is there?" Shia asked as she slowly sat on the bed. Micheal sat on the opposite bed, and Julius sat beside her.

"Just us three," Julius told her. Shia didn't know what to say.

"You can tell whoever you want, they can know but they can't tell others. There's a war that will start soon. Humans, Heaven, and Hell. For now, you need to worry about demons. There's one demon that's after you neck. His name is Azazel, known as Yellow eyes. He's a big fan of the Winchesters. As soon as he found out who you were, he was out for you. Now, little sister, you must stay safe. You need to use your powers more. The less you use your powers the more human you are. I know you don't like using your powers, but as of right now it's a way to keep you safe. That's why we're here to tell you that. We've been keeping an eye on you though. Anyone that wants to hurt you will have to go through your big brothers. But, we won't be there for you all the time. See, I have a life. You know? I have a job and a house..well...more of a cabin. You can drop by anytime. We have to leave now, the Winchesters will be here at any minute," Michael said as he walked over by the door. He gave Shia a goodbye smile and left. Shia took a look at Julius and he was looking at her blankly.

"I don't know what to say," Shia said looking at her hands.

"It's okay. It's a lot to take in," Julius said giving her a side hug. She didn't understand how she was so comfortable around them both, it's like she have known them her whole life. "I have to go, see you around." He used his orbing powers to leave. Moments later the Winchester brothers walked in, they looked at the room and it was a mess.

"What the hell happened? How-," Dean said but he looked at Shia and stopped. "Hey, Shia, baby. You okay? What happen?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm fine. Some family dropped by," Shia told him with a smile.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you had a bar fight in here," Sam said looking at the broken objects in the room..

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about we go to the diner and get something to eat? I'm starving." Shia stated as she headed over the door. The two brothers shared a confused look and followed Shia to the door.


	6. Phantom Traveler

Out of town in a small motel room, Dean and Shia are asleep naturally cuddling each other. The door to their room opens a crack and Dean wakes slowly, shifting slightly and waking Shia. The door slams, startling Dean and Shia fully awake. They look up to see Sam walking in the room carrying coffee and donuts.

"Mornin', sunshine," Sam said brightly, clearly having been awake for hours. Sam heard Shia mumble 'Fuck off'. He laughed slightly forgetting that she can be a little grumpy in the morning.

"What time is it?" Dean asked.

"It's about 5:45," Sam answered.

"In the morning?"

"Yep," Sam replied.

"Where does the day go?" Dean said as he and Shia sat up in bed. "Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked Sam.

"Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours," Sam said unconvincingly.

"Liar," Dean said. "'Cause I was up at three, and you were watchin' the George Foreman infomercial."

"Hey, what can I say? It's riveting TV," Sam said.

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. A little while, I guess. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, it is."

"Look, I appreciate your concern—"

"Oh, I'm not concerned about you," Dean cut in. "It's both you guys job to keep my ass alive, so I need you sharp." Sam shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Sam, honey, are you still having nightmares about Jess?" Shia said.

"Yeah," Sam said, sitting on the bed across from Dean and Shia, handing them both a coffee. "But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job—man, it gets to you."

"Well, you can't let it," Dean said confidently. "You can't bring it home like that."

"So, what? All this—it never keeps you up at night?" Sam asked, to which Dean shook his head. "Never? You're never afraid?"

"No, not really," Dean said. Knowing better, Sam reached under Dean's pillow and pulled out the knife that was hidden. Shia, clearly unaware of the fact that was there, turns to glare at Dean.

"Dean, what the hell?" Shia asked still sort of shook that he keeps knives hidden.

"That's not fear," Dean said, snatching the knife back. "That is precaution."

"Precaution my ass, next time tell me you have knives under your pillow. I don't want to cut my finger or whatever," Shia said, smacking his shoulder playfully, to which Dean smiled cockily at her pulling into a hug and giving her a big kiss on the lips.

"All right, whatever. I'm too tired to argue," Sam said just as Dean's cell phone rang. The three stared at it before they answered. There weren't many people who had that number, who would be calling at this hour.

"Well, I'm not getting it. I'm too tired," Shia said looking between the boys. Dean sighed. Cautiously, Dean answered it.

"Hello?"

"Dean, it's Jerry Panowski," the voice on the other end said. The name rang no bells for Dean. "You and your dad helped me out a couple years back."

"Oh, right, yeah," Dean said, the memories finally falling into place. "Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing." At the mention of a previous job, Shia, who had been listening to Dean's end of the conversation with Sam, also clicked on who would be on the other end.

"It's not back, is it?" Dean continued.

"No, no," Jerry said. "Thank God, no. But it's something else, and, well, I think it could be a lot worse."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Can we talk in person?" Jerry asked in return, not to eager to discuss this over the phone from his office.

"Yeah, sure, we'll get there as soon as we can," Dean said as he hung up the phone.

"Well, who the hell was that?" Shia asked as she used her powers to make her brush appear in her hands. The brothers looked at her, they were still getting use to her using her powers. "Are you guys still shock I use my powers often now?"

"No, but it's just...it's not something you see everyday," Sam said. Shia shrugged getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom.

Not too long later, Sam, Dean and Shia arrived at Jerry's workplace, a construction site for old or broke down airplanes. Jerry was guiding the three through the warehouse, talking about what his earlier phone call had been about.

"Thanks for makin' the trip so quick," Jerry said. "I ought to be doing you guys a favor, not the other way around. Dean, Shia and your dad really helped me out," he said, turning to Sam.

"Yeah, they told me. It was a poltergeist?" Sam said, a passing employee overhearing them.

" 'Poltergeist'? Man, I loved that movie!" the employee piped up.

"Hey, nobody's talkin' to you. Keep walkin'," he said to his employee before turning back to Sam. "Damn right, it was a poltergeist—practically tore our house apart." Jerry this time turned to Dean and Shia.

"I'll tell you somethin'—if it wasn't for you guys and your dad, I probably wouldn't be alive." His attention again flicked to Sam.

"Your dad said you were off at college. Is that right?"

"Yeah, I was," Sam said. "I'm….takin' some time off."

"Well, he was real proud of you. I could tell. He talked about you all the time."

"He did?" Sam said, glancing over at Dean and Shia who were smiling his way.

"Yeah, you bet he did. Oh, hey, you know, I tried to get a hold of him, but I couldn't. How's he doing, anyway?"

"He's, um….he's wrapped up in a job right now," Dean said, not willing to go into out of the family right now.

"Well, we're missin' the old man. We get Sam. Even trade, huh?" Jerry said, and the four of them laughed slightly.

"No, not by a long shot," Sam said.

"I've got somethin' I want you guys to hear," Jerry said, guiding them into his office. While Sam, Dean and Shia sat ion the three chairs across from his desk, Jerry sat at his computer, playing a CD into the player.

"I listened to this," Jerry said as he turned back to the trio. "Well, it sounded like it was up your alley. Normally, I wouldn't have access to this. It's the cockpit voice recorder for United Britannia Flight 2485. It was one of ours."

He hit the play button and the CD kicked in. over all the static and other sounds coming from the recording, they could just manage to hear the sound of voices.

"Mayday. Mayday," Chuck's panicked voice rang out. "Repeat. This is United Britannia flight 2485 requesting immediate instructions and help."

"United Britannia flight 2485, we copy your mayday," a calmer man replied.

"We may be experiencing some kind of mechanical failure…." Chuck continued, but his voice was suddenly taken over by a demonic sounding hissing and an even more demonic sounding growl. At this point, the CD stopped and Sam, Dean and Shia exchanged a confused look.

"Took off from here—crashed about two hundred miles south," Jerry told them. "Now, they're saying mechanical failure. The cabin depressurized somehow. Nobody knows why. Over a hundred people on board—only seven got out alive. The pilot was one. His name is Chuck Lambert. He's a good friend of mine. Chuck is, uh….well, he's pretty broken up about it—like it was his fault."

"And You don't think it was?" Shia said.

"No, I don't."

"Jerry, we're gonna need passenger manifests, a list of survivors—" Sam began, counting off on his fingers.

"Right. And any way we can take a look at the wreckage?" Dean cut in.

"The other stuff is no problem, but the wreckage—fellas, the NTSB has it locked down in an evidence warehouse. No way I've got that kind of clearance.

"No problem," Dean said, shrugging. Shia looked over at him, knowing all too well he was up to something.

They were making their way to the car, Shia walking beside her boyfriend.

"Dean, what are you thinking?" Shia asked.

"Dirty things about you. Follow me beautiful," Dean said giving Shia a wink and making her blush.

Having already been sat outside the Copy Jack for quite some time now, Sam and Shia were getting a little bored of waiting for him. Just as one of them were about to go in looking for him, he walked out oh so casually.

"You've been in there forever," Sam said as he walked up to them.

"You can't rush perfection," Dean said, holding up two fake ID's.

"Homeland Security?" Sam said as he took his.

"That's pretty illegal, even for us," Sam said as they moved to sit in the car.

"Where's my ID?" Shia asked.

"Oh, you're not coming with us," Dean said as the three climbed into the car, Dean and Shia in the front while Sam climbed into the backseat.

"What the hell do you mean I'm not coming with you?" Shia asked.

"You'll be our getaway car if we get busted," Dean said grabbing her hand and giving it a sweet kiss.

"Wait, I'm driving your baby?" Shia asked. Dean just gave her a smile.

"All right, so, what do you got?" Dean asked Sam.

"Well, there's definitely EVP on the cockpit voice recorder," Sam said as she opened his laptop.

"Yeah?" Dean said.

"Listen," he said as he played an audio recording from the laptop. After a minute of static, a clear voice came through, creepily uttering two words.

"No survivors."

" 'No survivors'?" Dean questioned as Sam stopped the recording. "What's that supposed to mean? There were seven survivors."

"We don't know," Shia said.

"So, what are you thinkin'? A haunted flight?" Dean asked.

"There's a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, like phantom travelers," Sam said.

"Mm-hmm," Dean said in agreement.

"Or, remember Flight 401?" Shia said.

"Right—the one that crashed," Dean began. "Then the airline salvaged some of its parts, put it in other planes, then the spirit of the pilot and co-pilot haunted those flights."

"Right," Shia answered.

"Yep," Dean replied.

"Maybe we've got a similar deal," Shia suggested.

"All right, so, survivors," Dean said, holding up the list. "Which one do you wanna talk to first?"

"Third on the list—Max Jaffey," Sam said, pointing at his name.

"Why him?" Dean asked.

"Well, for one, he's from around here. And two, if anyone saw anything weird, he did."

"What makes you say that?" Dean asked.

"Well, I spoke to his mother, and she told me where to find him."

"Wait, can I please come in to see the guy at least?" Shia asked.

"Okay, fine, you'll be my sexy intern," Dean said starting the car.

And where Max was was Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital. Sam, Dean and Shia had blagged their ways in and were walking through the gardens outside the building with Max, him walking with a slight limp in his step.

"I don't understand," he said as he continued to walk behind them. "I already spoke with Homeland Security."

"Right," Dean answered. "Some new information has come up. So if you could just answer a couple questions…."

"Just before the plane went down, did you notice anything unusual?" Sam asked.

"Like what?" Max questioned.

"Strange lights, weird noises, maybe….voices?" Dean put in.

"No, nothing," Max said, but it wasn't all that convincing.

"Hmm. Mr. Joffey…."

"Jaffey," Max corrected Dean.

"Jaffey. You checked yourself in here, right?" Dean continued. Max nodded. "Can I ask why?"

"I was a little stressed," Maxc said in the same unconvincing tone. "I survived a plane crash."

"Uh-huh. And that's what terrified you? That's what you were afraid of?" Dean said.

"I-I don't wanna talk about this anymore," Max said.

"See, I think maybe you did see somethin' up there. We need to know what."

"No. No, I was delusional—seeing things.," Max said.

"He was seeing things," Dean repeated to Sam and Shia, and both could tell this kid was getting on his nerves already. Shia shrugged at him, thinking that after what Dean had been saying, she had a better chance of getting something out of him.

"It's okay," Shia said, trying to be more comforting that Dean. "Then just tell us what you thought you saw, please."

"There was… this… man," Max finally fessed up. "And, uh, he had these… eyes—these, uh… black eyes. And I saw him—or I thought I saw him…."

"What?" Shia questioned.

"He opened the emergency exit. But that's….that's impossible, right? I mean, I looked it up. There's somethin' like two tons of pressure on that door." And yeah. All three of them knew that was physically impossible… for a human.

"This man," Sam began. "Did he seem to appear and disappear rapidly? It wouldn't look something like a mirage?"

"What are you, nuts?" Max said. "He was a passenger. He was sitting right in front of me." The trio exchanged a look. Ok, this guy was human.

Not too long later, Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up to what they had found out was George Phelps house4.

"Here we are—George Phelps, seat 20C," Sam said as they pulled up.

"Hmm. Man, I don't care how strong you are," Dean said as the three got out of the car. "Even yoked up on PCP or somethin', no way you can open up an emergency door during a flight."

"Not if you're human," Sam stated. "But maybe this guy, George, was somethin' else—a creature maybe, in human form?"

"That look like a creature's lair to you?" Shia said as she gestured towards the very normal looking suburban house that was George Phelps address. "It's beautiful."

The trio were now in the supposed 'creatures lair', speaking to the later George Phelps' wife. Sam picked up a photo of what he assumed was George, making a conversation starter with his wife.

"This is your late husband?" Sam said.

"Yes, that was my George," Mrs Phelps replied.

"And you said he was a… dentist?" Dean said somewhat sceptically.

"Mm-hmm," she answered. "He was headed to a convention in Denver. Do you know that he was petrified to fly? For him to go like that…." Her voice trailed off as the tears began to come, which is when the more sensitive of the trio came into play.

"How long were you married?" Shia asked, getting a smile from Mrs Phelps at her memories of her husband.

"Thirteen years," she said.

"Wow, lucky man," Shia said giving her a smile.

"Oh, thank you. Are you married?"

"Oh, no, but I have a boyfriend."

"Luck guy."

"In all that time you were married, did you ever notice anything… strange about him," Sam asked. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Well… uh, he had acid reflux, if that's what you mean," Mrs Phelps told them. The three exchanged a look. Not exactly the something strange they had expected.

Getting all the information they could out of Mrs Phelps, Sam, Dean and Shia left to find a new way to find more.

"I mean, it goes without saying," Sam said as they left. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, a middle-aged dentist with an ulcer is not exactly evil personified," Dean said. "You know, what we need to do is get inside that NTSB warehouse, check out the wreckage."

"Okay. But if you're gonna go that route, you better look the part," Shia told the boys. Dean knew exactly what she meant, he hated the idea she had in mind.

And looking the part meant putting the boys in suits. The two walked out of Mort's For Style, both dressed in very business looking suits.

"Man, I look like one of the Blues Brothers," Dean moaned.

"No, you don't. You look more like a seventh grader at his first dance," Sam corrected.

"I hate this thing," Dean said, glaring at his brother.

"Hey, you want into that warehouse or not?" Sam said. Dean said nothing, which was enough of an answer for his brother. The two walked back to the car where Shia was standing, and seeing the boys walk out. She was loving the idea.

"Damn, babe, seeing you in that suit is a major turn on," Shia said as they walked up to her.

"Oh really? Well, I should wear things like this more often," Dean said with a smile on his face leaning in to give her a kiss.

"Guys! Can we focus on the case? Please?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you're mad because you never get laid," Dean said, the smile on his face matching Shia's. "Come on," he said as the three climb into the Impala and drove off.

While the boys checked out the wreckage, Shia was outside waiting or watching out for anything to happen. A black SUV pulled up by the building and men in suits was now walking towards the building.

"Damn it," Shia said as she grabbed her phone to call Dean. "Dean? Get out now!"

The brothers are outside of the warehouse having exited through the back of the building, walking calmly towards the car. Their calm walk turns into a run as alarms blare around them, and they know what for. They realize they'll have to jump the fence. Throwing his suit jacket over the fence, Dean hit the ground first.

"Huh. These monkey suits do come in handy," Dean said as Sam dropped beside him. Grabbing his own jacket, they run back to the car as Shia started the vehicle.

Back at Jerry's office, Sam, Dean and Shia watch as Jerry investigates the substance they brought back with them.

"Huh," Jerry said as he looked up. "This stuff is covered in sulfur."

"I totally knew that, I'm always right," Shia whispered to Dean, he smiled and intertwined their fingers together, holding her hand.

"You're sure?" Sam asked, thinking he knows just what that means.

"Take a look for yourself," Jerry said, the sound of shouting employees in the hallway heard over his voice. "If you guys will excuse me, I have an idiot to fire," Jerry continued as he walked out of the room, shouting out at his employees.

"Hey, Einstein. Yeah, you. What the heck are you doing? Put the wrench down." Letting Jerry leave and continue his yelling, Sam took his place at the microscope, looking into the lens.

"Hmm. You know, there's not too many things that leave behind a sulfuric residue," he said as he pulled up.

"Demonic possession?" Dean questioned, although the answer was clear."It would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open up an emergency hatch," Shia answers.

"If the guy was possessed, it's possible."

"Yeah, but this goes way beyond floatin' over a bed or barfin' pea soup," Dean, Mr Look-For-Anything-But-The-Obvious-Answer, pipes up. "I mean, it's one thing to possess a person, but to use 'em to take down an entire airplane?"

"You ever heard of somethin' like this before?" Sam asked the two in front of him.

"Never," Dean answered as Shia shook her head.

Back at their motel, the trio are researching this demon, searching for any signs this thing might have struck before. Sam sat at his laptop while Dean and Shia laid in their bed reading books about demons.

"So, every religion in every world culture has the concept of demons and demonic possession, right?" Sam said, pulling Dean and Shia's attention back to him as the pair sit up. "I mean, Christian, Native American, Hindu—you name it."

"Yeah, but none of 'em describe anything like this," Dean states.

"Well, that's not exactly true. See, according to Japanese beliefs, certain demons are behind certain disasters, both natural and man-made. One causes earthquakes, another causes disease."

"And this one causes plane crashes?" Shia asked somewhat skeptically. Sam simply shrugged.

"All right, so, what?" Dean added in, climbing off the bed. "We've got a demon that's evolved with the times and found a way to ratchet up the body count?"

"Yeah. You know, who knows how many planes it's brought down before this one?" Sam said. Thinking on this and every other piece of information flashing through his brain, Dean turned his back on his little brother and girlfriend, scratching his head.

"What?" Sam and Shia asked in unison, their worry for him and the case showing in their voices.

"I don't know, man. This isn't our normal gig," Dean said, turning back to them. "I mean, demons—they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. This is big. You know, I wish Dad was here."

"Yeah. Me, too," Sam and Shia said, glancing sadly at Dean then at each other. Breaking the moment, Dean's cell phone began ringing, and Shia grabbed it from the night stand and answered it.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Shia, it's Jerry," Jerry's voice echoed from the other end, his words full of emotion.

"Oh, hey, Jerry," Shia said.

"My pilot friend, Chuck Lambert, is dead," Jerry told her.

"Jerry, I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"He and his buddy went up in a small twin about an hour ago. The plane went down."

"Where'd this happen?"

"About sixty miles west of here, near Nazareth."

"I'll try to ignore the irony in that," Shia said, his mind now replaying the information Sam had just given them.

"I'm sorry?" Jerry asked.

"Nothing. Jerry, hang in there, all right? We'll have a talk with you soon," Shia said as she hung up.

"Another crash?" Sam asked once the call had ended.

"Yeah. Let's go," Shia said, grabbing her jacket and Dean's keys

"Whoa, you're not driving this time, babe," Dean said grabbing his keys from his girlfriend.

"Where did the plane crash?" Sam asked.

"Nazareth," Shia stated simply. Both Sam and Dean smiled half-heartedly at her, them also seeing the irony in this all.

After speeding down to the wreckage before the NTBS could lock it up in another warehouse, Sam, Dean and Shia made their way back to Jerry with yet more sulphur covered items from the wreckage.

"Sulfur?" Dean asked as Jerry pulled out from the microscope. He nodded.

"Well, that's great," Dean said, turning to Sam and Shia who were sat behind the computer. "All right, so, that's two plane crashes involving Chuck Lambert. This demon sounds like it was after him."

"With all due respect to Chuck, um….if that's the case, that would be the good news," Sam told them.

"What's the bad news?" Dean asked.

"Chuck's plane went down exactly forty minutes into flight," Shia told him. "And get this—so did Flight 2485."

"Forty minutes? What does that mean?" Jerry asked.

"It's biblical numerology," Sam said. "On Noah's Ark, it rained for forty days. The number means death."

"I went back," Shia continued. "And there have been six plane crashes over the last decade that all went down exactly forty minutes in."

"Any survivors?" Dean asked.

"No. Or not until now, at least—not until Flight 2485, for some reason."

"On the cockpit voice recorder," Sam cut in. "Remember what the EVP said?"

" 'No survivors'," Dean said, to which Sam nodded. "It's goin' after all the survivors. It's tryin' to finish the job," Dean finished dramatically.

Now having a more clearer idea of what this demon wanted, the three where in the car, taking off to find it. Shia sat in the front beside Dean, her cell phone pressed against her ear.

"Really?" Shia said into the phone in an over the top friendly manner. "Well, thank you for taking our survey, and if you do plan to fly, please don't forget your friends at United Britannia Airlines. You have a nice day! Thank you," she said as she hung up.

"All right," she said, shifting in her chair to speak to both brothers. "That takes care of Blaine Sanderson and Dennis Holloway. They're not flyin' anytime soon."

"So, our only wildcard is the flight attendant, Amanda Walker," Dean said.

"Right," Shia said. "Her sister, Karen, said her flight leaves Indianapolis at 8 PM. It's her first night back on the job."

"That sounds like just our luck," Dean said.

"Dean, this is a five-hour drive, man," Sam informed them. "Even with you behind the wheel."

"Why don't you call Amanda's cell phone again," Dean said to Shia. "See if we can't head her off at the pass."

"I've already left her three voice messages," Shia said. "She must have turned her phone off."

"God, we're never gonna make it," Sam said defeatedly.

"Oh, we'll make it," Dean said, stepping on the gas and speeding faster down the road. With the random speed of the caused Shia to jerk back in her sit.

"Damn it, Dean," Shia said.

"Oh, you'll live," Dean said sending her a small smile.

They just about managed to make it, rushing into the airport and over to the flight schedule screens.

"Right there," Sam said, pointing up at the screen. "They're boarding in thirty minutes."

"Okay. We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone," Dean said as he moved over to a courtesy phone on the wall beside them.

"Hi. Gate 13," Dean said to the operator on the other side. "I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on Flight, um…."

"424," Shia whispered.

"Flight 424," Dean repeated, waiting for Amanda to pick up.

In another area of the airport, the operators voice rang over the intercom.

"Amanda Walker, Amanda Walker. You have a phone call at the white courtesy phone, Gate 13."

At her gate, Amanda walked up the courtesy phone, just ready to board the plane.

"Come on…." Dean whispered into his side just as Amanda picked up.

"This is Amanda Walker," she said into the phone.

"Miss Walker," Dean continued into the phone. "Hi, this is Dr. James Headfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here."

"Karen?" Amanda said, suddenly worried.

"Nothing serious—just a minor car accident. But she was injured, so…."

"Wait, that's impossible," Amanda said, cutting Dean off. "I just got off the phone with her."

"You what?" Dean said, his story suddenly not working.

"Five minutes ago. She's at her house, cramming for a final. Who is this?"

"Uh, well… there must be some mistake," Dean said, suddenly lost for what to do next.

"And how would you even know I was here?" Amanda said as she paused to think. "Is this one of Vince's friends?"

"Guilty as charged," Dean said, chuckling as he picked up on this new cover story.

"Wow. This is unbelievable."

"He's really sorry."

"Well, you tell him to mind his own business and stay out of my life, okay?"

"Yes, but he really needs to see you tonight, so…."

"No," Amanda cut him off sharply. "I'm sorry. It's too late."

"Don't be like that," Dean said, trying to keep her on the line and off the plane. "Come on, the guy's a mess, really… it's pathetic."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Look, I've gotta go. Tell him to call me when I land."

"No, no, wait, Amanda," Dean said as Amanda put the phone down, leaving Dean to shout her name into an unoccupied phone.

Leaving the phone call behind her, Amanda made to board the plane. She walked into the plane, passing under a vent through the platform. A vent from which the black mist seeped out before disappearing quickly back inside.

Back at the entrance to the airport, Dean is suddenly out of ideas.

"Damn it! So close," he said, pacing around the airport.

"All right, it's time for Plan B," Sam said, his own plan forming. "We're getting on that plane."

"Now, just hold on a second," Dean said, definitely not liking this plan.

"Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board," Sam told his brother. "And if we're right, that plane is gonna crash."

"I know!" Dean said, quite agitated, and Shia suddenly figured just what the problem was.

"We're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon, and exorcise it. Look, I'll get the tickets. You just go and get whatever you can out of the trunk, whatever will make it through security. Meet me back here in five minutes," Sam said, but Dean didn't move.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"No, not really," Dean answered truthfully.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh…" he sighed, trailing off.

"Flying," Shia finished for him.

"Flying?" Sam questioned.

"It's never really been an issue until now," Dean told him.

"You're joking, right?" Sam said. Here it was finally. Something his brother was scared of.

"Do I look like I'm joking?' Dean said, and it was clear he wasn't. "Why do you think I drive everywhere, Sam?"

"All right. Uh, we'll go," Shia suggested, knowing just how much her boyfriend hated flying.

"What?" Dean said.

"We'll do this one on our own."

"What are you, nuts?" Dean said. "You said it yourself, the plane's gonna crash."

"Look, Dean, the three of us can do it together, or me and Sam can do this one ourselves. I'm not seeing a third option here," Shia said, making out like she was just helping Dean, but really trying to get him on the flight with him. If Dean knew lives were in danger, and that two of those lives were Sam and Shia, he'd go with them.

"Come on! Really?" Dean said, sighing in a defeated manner as it began to work. "Man." Sam left to go get the tickets, Shia used her powers to make the supplies she can carry on the plane appear.

"Dean, everything will be okay. You have me," Shia said giving Dean a hug and a small kiss on his neck. "Don't worry so much. Okay? You'll be fine." Dean gave her a smile smile and kiss her lips.

The plane was now up in the air and Dean's panic hadn't ceased. He was sat in almost exactly the same position, humming gently as Shia leaned in to try and listen, it sounded familiar to her. Metallica?

"Are you humming Metallica?" she asked.

"It calms me down," Dean stated simply.

"Look, baby, I get you're nervous, okay?" Shia said. "But you've got to stay focused. Try to do that for me."

"Okay," Dean said, but his voice said there was only one thing he was focused on, and it wasn't the demon.

"We've got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism," Sam reminded them.

"Yeah, on a crowded plane, that's gonna be easy." Dean said sarcastically.

"Just take it one step at a time, all right? Now, who is it possessing?"

"Well, it's usually gonna be somebody with some sort of weakness, you know," Dean spieled off. "A chink in the armor that the demon can worm through—somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress."

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash," Sam said. "If I were her, I'd be pretty messed up."

"Mm-hmm," Dean said as a flight attendant walked past them. "Excuse me. Are you Amanda?" he asked her.

"No, I'm not," she answered.

"Oh, my mistake," Dean said with a polite smile.

"Mm-hmm," the flight attendant mumbled as she walked away. Looking for any other flight attendants, Dean turned to see Amanda stood at the back of the plane by the restrooms.

"All right, well, that's got to be Amanda back there," Dean said as he turned back to Sam and Shia, and they turned to see Amanda. "So… I'll go talk to her and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state."

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam asked.

"There's ways to test that," Dean said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water. "I brought holy water."

"No, I think we can go more subtle," Shia said, snatching the bottle from him. "If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God."

"Oh. Nice," Dean said as he stood to walk away.

"Hey," Sam called back to him.

"What?"

"Say it in Latin."

"I know," he said, beginning to walk away.

"Hey!" Shia called him back again.

"What?!"

"In Latin, it's 'Cristo'."

"Babe, I know, I'm not an idiot!" he said, this time finally walking away. Making his way to Amanda, the plane hits turbulence and begins to jolt. Dean quickly grabbed a hold of the nearest chair, pausing until the plane steadied itself. Gritting his teeth, he thudded the back of the chair as he again made his way to the back of the plane.

"Actually, he is an idiot. He didn't know to say 'Cristo'," Shia said to Sam giggling about what she just said about Dean.

"Hey, he's your boyfriend," Sam said smiling at Shia.

Dean quickly went back to Sam and Shia, slumping down into his seat.

"All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet," he mutter almost angrily as he sat.

"You said 'Cristo'?" Shia asked.

"Yeah."

"And?" Sam continued.

"There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her." Dean made Shia giggle by saying that.

"So, if it's on the plane, it can be anyone… anywhere," Sam finished, just as the plane began to rumble and shake almost violently.

"Come on! That can't be normal!" Dean called, gripping tighter to the chair arms.

"Hey, hey, it's just a little turbulence," Shia said comfortingly.

"Shia, this plane is going to crash, okay? So quit treatin' me like I'm friggin' four!" Dean said, turning to her as the plane steadied itself.

"You need to calm down," Shai reiterated.

"Well, I'm sorry, I can't!" Dean stated.

"Yes, you can."

"Babe, stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping!"

"Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession, so you need to calm yourself down right now," Shia reminded Dean. Knowing she was right, Dean paused before letting out a slow and hopefully calming breath.

"Good," Shia said with a small smile.

"Now, I found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work," Sam said, opening his father's journal. "The ritual Romano."

"What do we have to do?" Dean asked.

"It's two parts. The first part expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful."

"More powerful?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Well, it doesn't need to possess someone anymore. It can just wreak havoc on its own."

"Oh, and why is that a good thing?" Dean asked, shocked at how Sam would think that would help at all.

"Well, because the second part sends the bastard back to hell," Shia finished. "Once and for all."

"First thing's first," Dean said. "We've got to find it."

Knowing exactly who the demon was inside, Sam, Dean and Shia made their way to the opposite end of the plane, heading for the only person who had a slight chance of believing them.

"She's not gonna believe this," Sam said.

"Twelve minutes, dude," Dean reminded them as the three stepped behind the curtain where Amanda was standing.

"Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you, I hope," Amanda said, noticing Dean

"Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about," Dean said as Sam closed the curtain behind them.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" Amanda asked.

"All right, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole 'The truth is out there' speech right now," Dean started off.

"All right, look," Shia said, pushing her way in front of Dean and cutting him off. "We know you were on Flight 2485."

"Who are you guys?" Amanda said, fairly shocked.

"We've spoken to some of the other survivors," Shia carried on, ignoring her question. "We know something brought down that plane, and it wasn't mechanical failure."

"And we need your help because we need to stop it from happening again, here, now," Dean finished.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm very busy," Amanda said as she tried to walk past them, but Den stopped her, taking hold of her arms.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?" Dean said as he guided Amanda back into the room and let her go. "But listen to me—the pilot from 2485, Chuck Lambert—he's dead."

"Wait, what? Chuck is dead?" Amanda said, shocked.

"He died in a plane crash," Dean told her. "Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?"

"Look, there was something wrong with 2485," Sam carried on. "Now, maybe you sensed it, and maybe you didn't, but there's something wrong with this flight, too."

"Amanda, you have to believe us," Dean finished. The three watched her expectantly as she struggled with the decision about whether she believed these three or not.

"On… on 2485, there was this man," Amanda began, making her decision. "He… had these eyes."

"Yes, that's exactly what we're talking about," Sam said.

"But I don't understand. What are you asking me to do?" Amanda asked.

"Get the co-pilot," Dean told her. "We need you to bring him back here."

"Why? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Don't have time to explain. We just need to talk to him, okay?"

"But how am I supposed to go into the cockpit and get the co-pilot…."

"Whatever it takes," Sam cut her off "Do whatever it takes. Tell him there's something broken back here. Whatever will get him out of that cockpit."

"Do you know that I could lose my job if…."

"You're gonna lose a lot more than that if you don't help us out," Shia said, now her turn to cut Amanda off. And they all paused, waiting for a response from Amanda.

"Okay," she said, leaving the curtained area. Sam, Dean and Shia watched her walk over to the cockpit and the co-pilot come out. After saying whatever she had to him, Amanda and the co-pilot now started walking back towards Sam, Dean and Shia. Pulling back behind the curtain, the trio got ready to perform the on air exorcism, taking out a bottle of holy water and their father's journal. The minute the co-pilot entered the area, Dean punched him, knocking him to the ground and covering his mouth in duct tape. He and Shia then pinned him to the floor as Amanda watched on in horror.

"What are you doing? You said you were just gonna talk to him!" Amanda almost screamed.

"We are gonna talk to him," Dean said as he and Shia tried to keep hold of the wildly thrashing co-pilot. He continued thrashing harder as Sam sprinkled holy water on him, holes burning through his clothes where it hit.

"Oh, my God, what's wrong with him?" Amanda said, beginning to panic at what she was seeing.

"We need you calm,' Sam said, looking up at her. "We need you outside the curtain. Don't let anybody in, okay? Can you do that?" Amanda didn't answer; she just continued to stare at the co-pilot.

"Amanda?" Shia called.

"I don't know! I don't know if I can do that."

"Do you want to die? No? Then I suggest you take your ass and go out there and keep calm! Don't let anyone back here. Now, go!" Shia yelled at Amanda. She was never this rude to people, but at the moment she was sort of irritated.

"Okay. Okay," Amanda said weakly, leaving the area and standing outside the curtain, leaving Sam, Dean and Shia with the possessed co-pilot.

"Hurry up, Sam," Dean said as he and Shia began to have trouble holding down the co-pilot. "I don't know how much longer we can hold him."

Sam began the ritual, reading the Latin from his father's journal. Sensing what was coming, the demon inside the co-pilot began to wrestle harder against Dean and Shia. As the demon became stronger, he knocked the bottle of holy water from Sam's hand before he sent the three flying against the wall. Unfazed, Sam grabbed the journal and continued to read. Without Dean and Shia holding onto him, the co-pilot managed to rip the duct tape from his mouth, grabbing Sam by the front of his shirt.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend!" the demon screamed at Sam, who just stared at him, shocked beyond belief."She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!"

Pulling herself away from the wall after hearing the demons words, Shia kicked the co-pilot across the side of the face, quieting him before he could say anymore to the already distressed Sam. She and Dean restrained the co-pilot again, but Sam didn't move an inch. He was too lost in his thoughts to think of anything, and Shia could see this.

"Sam!" she screamed at him. Although under most circumstances, she would have done anything to get him to let out his feelings and make him feel better, now wasn't the time.

Knocked back to reality, Sam picked up the journal and continued to recite the spell in Latin. Once the spell was finished, Sam pushed the journal to one side and helped Dean and Shia hold down the pilot.

"I got him!" Sam called as the co-pilot became to scream and kick out his legs. His legs thrashing, he kicked the journal through the curtain and into the plane. Screaming louder, the co-pilots mouth flew open and a black mist tunnels out of his mouth and into the air vents of the plane. With the demon out of him, the co-pilot lay motionless on the floor.

"Where'd it go?" Sam called to the others.

"It's in the plane," Dean answered. "We've got to finish it."

"You might want to hurry up!" Shia stated.

As the three stood to retrieve the journal from the plane, the demon took over and the plane began to plummet. While Sam was jerked head first through the curtain and into the plane, Dean and Shia were three against the wall.

In the main area of the plane, the passengers were beginning to panic, strapping themselves tightly into their seats. Through the midst of all the chaos, Sam crawled through the seats and reached for the journal.

"Got it!" he called as his hand closed round it. Kneeling in the middle of the aisle, Sam opened the journal and went on to the second part of the exorcism, screaming in Latin as the plane continued to dive.

Behind the curtain, Dean and Shia tried once again to make their way into the plane but were once against stop as the plane jolted violently. They were again thrown into the wall, Dean screaming as he clung to Shia who had her eyes closed and was simply waited for Sam to come through and for the plane to level out. She also would like it if Dean would stop screaming, her ears were about to bleed.

Inside the seating area, chaos still ensues. Papers and objects are flying everywhere as the passengers continue to scream and duck flying objects. Still screaming in Latin, Sam came to the end of the exorcism as a bolt of electrical white light flew from the plane, dispersing the demon.

With the demon gone, the plane now levelled out and the passengers calmed as the plane began travelling smoothly through the air again. Breathing heavily, Sam stood up as Dean and Shia popped out from behind the curtain, both looking a little shaken. The three exchanged a look, thanking the heavens that the ordeal was finally over.

Back with their car and outside Jerry's airport again, Sam, Dean and Shia stood saying their goodbyes to Jerry.

"Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed," Jerry said, shaking each one of their hands. "Your dad's gonna be real proud."

"We'll see you around, Jerry," Sam said as he turned to walk away.

"You know, Jerry?" Dean said, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yeah?" Jerry said, turning to him.

"I meant to ask you—how did you get my cell phone number, anyway? I've only had it for, like, six months."

"Your dad gave it to me," Jerry answered. That simply answer put the three in shock, turning to Jerry and staring open mouthed at him.

"What?" Sam asked.

"When did you talk to him?" Dean asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly talk to him, but I called his number, and his voice message said to give you a call." The three just nodded at Jerry's response, not all that sure of what to say. "Thanks again, guys," Jerry said as he walked away.

Once Jerry was gone, the three left all exchanged a look. Searching for the boy's father, they had just been given their first lead in a long way. A major lead.

Not too long later, Sam, Dean and Shia had parked up just outside the airport and were sat on the trunk of the Impala, Dean dialing their father's number.

"This doesn't make any sense, man," Sam said. "I've called Dad's number, like, fifty times. It's been out of service." Not really paying attention to Sam, Dean put the phone on speaker so the three could listen as their father's voicemail played out.

"This is John Winchester," Their dad's voice rang out. "I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean and his friend Shia, you can reach them at 866-907-3235. They can help."

With the message finished, Dean hung up, all three staring out into space. Near tears, Sam got up and walked back to the car without a word. For so long, they didn't even know if their father was alive. He just had to keep telling himself that at least this was something.

"You know, if his cell phones back in service, maybe we're getting closer," Shia said, trying to be positive. She saw the look in Dean's eyes that she rarely saw. Only when they were kids. The look that said he really wasn't sure where to go from here.

"Yeah," Dean answered simply, getting up and walking to the car. Shia grabbed Dean's arm causing him to stop.

"You know we're going to find him, right?" Shia said giving Dean a smile. As a response he smiled back at her getting in his car.

A moment later, Shia was the last to slide into the backseat of the car and the they drove off, their car journey quieter than it ever had been as all three were lost in their own thoughts.


	7. Bloody Mary

In the car, Sam was being shaken awake by Shia pushing lightly on his shoulders from the back seat.

"Sam wake up," Shia called as Sam slipped back into the land of the living, looking around curiously at his surroundings.

"I take it I was having a nightmare," Sam said simply.

"Yeah, another one," Dean answered.

"Hey, at least I got some sleep," Sam said, trying to joke his way out of actually having to talk about his nightmare. But Dean wasn't having any of it.

"You know, sooner or later we're gonna have to talk about this," he said defiantly. Sam nodded, but didn't acknowledge his statement properly.

"Are we here?" he asked.

"Yup, welcome to Toledo, Ohio," Dean answered. Sam picked up the newspaper from the dashboard, going over the article they had circled. It was an obituary for Steven Shoemaker.

"So what do you think really happened to him?" Sam asked.

"He took a look at this zit on my forehead," Shia said as covered the zit with her hand. Dean hated when she would get insecure. Does she know she's beautiful?

"You're gorgeous, don't forget that," Dean turning around to give her a kiss. "And to answer your question Sam. No, I don't know what happen to him. That's why were here. Let's go."

Inside the morgue they had been parked outside, Sam, Dean and Shia walked into room 144. Walking past the absent doctor's desk, Dean looked at the name. Dr D. Feiklowicz. Brilliant! Had to pick the doctor with the unpronounceable name! His own girlfriend couldn't pronounce the name.

"Hey," the morgue tech said as they walked up to his desk.

"Hey," Dean replied.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dean said. "We're the uh... med students."

"Sorry?" the morgue tech said.

"Oh Doctor… Feiklowicz didn't tell you?" Dean said, hopefully managing to get the name right. "We talked to him on the phone. We uh… We're from Ohio State. He's supposed to show us the Shoemaker corpse. It's for our paper."

"Well I'm sorry, he's at lunch," the morgue tech said.

"Oh well he said uh… Oh well, you know, it doesn't matter. You don't mind showing us the body do you?"

"Sorry, I can't," the morgue tech answered. "Doc will be back in an hour, you can wait for him if you want."

"An hour? Ooh. We gotta be heading back to Columbus by then," Dean said, looking over at Sam and Shia beside him.

"Yeah," Sam said quietly.

"Uh look man, this paper's like half hour grade, so if you don't mind helping us out," Dean said.

"Oh look man," the morgue tech said mockingly. "No."

"I'm gonna hit him in his face I swear," Dean mumbled as he turned away from the morgue tech. Shia had a great idea, she unbutton her shirt to where the top of her breast was showing, then she pulled her hair out of the ponytail it was in so her hair could cover up that ugly zit.

"Hey," Shia said seductively. The morgue tech looked up at Shia and smiled.

"Hello," he said.

"Uh, you see, I have this paper to write and I really need to get it done soon before it's too late. So, if you don't mind...can you take us back there?" Shia asked leaning forward on his desk giving him a wink.

"I want to take you back there, sweetheart, but I don't know if I can," He said staring at Shia's breast. Dean really wanted to punch that guy in the face. Shia turned around and grabbed Dean's wallet from his pocket and pulled out a couple of twenties, she slammed the money in the desk. The morgue tech gave her a smile.

"Follow me," he said, picking up the money and walking away. Sam went to follow, but Dean grabbed Shia's arm before she could walk away, Dean waved at Sam to go on.

"Shia, I earned that money," Dean said.

"Dean, you won it in a poker game," Shia answered truthfully.

"Yeah," Dean said in a so what manner. Shia shook her and turned to walk away, Dean grabbed her arm again.

"What?!" Shia asked annoyed with Dean a little.

"What the hell was that, huh?" Dean asked motioning towards the desk and her shirt. Shia's face softened and she smiled.

"What? Don't tell me you're jealous? I only did it for this job, Dean," Shia said pulling Dean closer wrapping her arms around his waist. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are my one and only?" Dean gave her a smile and kiss her on the lips leaving her breathless.

"Why don't we go back there before they think we disappeared?" Dean said motioning her to go ahead of him, Shia smiled before turning around.

In the morgue, Sam, Dean, Shia and the morgue tech all stood around the body, covered up for the moment.

"Now the newspaper said his daughter found him," Sam said. "She said his eyes were bleeding."

"More than that. They practically liquefied," the morgue tech said as he pulled back the blanket to reveal Steven Shoemaker, who's eyes were now missing.

"Any sign of a struggle? Maybe somebody did it to him?" Dean said, all three of them hiding grimaces. Even though they saw stuff like this every day, it still wasn't too nice to be around.

"Nope," the morgue tech answered. "Besides the daughter, he was all alone."

"What's the official cause of death?" Sam asked.

"Doc's not sure. Massive stroke, maybe an aneurysm? Something burst up in there, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Intense cerebral bleeding. This guy had more blood in his skull than anyone I've ever seen."

"The eyes—what would cause something like that?"

"Capillaries can burst. See a lot of bloodshot eyes with stroke victims."

"Yeah? You ever see exploding eyeballs?" Shia said.

"That's a first for me, but hey, I'm not the doctor."

"Think we could take a look at that police report?" Dean asked. "You know for, uh… our paper."

"I'm not really supposed to show you that," the morgue tech answered with a sly smile.

"Please, it would really help me," Shia said walking towards him, he looked at her with lust and desire. Shia was disgusted but didn't let her face show it.

"Mmmm. I'm really sorry but I can't do it," He said with a smile smile. Shia rolled her eyes and turned around and pulled out her own wallet and took out four twenties and giving it to him. "I'll be right back." He left the room and Shia turned around to the boys with a frown on her face.

"What's wrong," Sam asked her.

"I was going to use that money to get more face cream," Shia pouted. Dean grinned walking towards her and kiss her once again. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Guys, really? In the morgue," Sam said. Dean and Shia burst out in laughter.

Now they had got what they wanted from the morgue tech, as well as him getting quite a bit from them, Sam, Dean and Shia were making their way to the car.

"Might not be one of ours," Sam said. "Might just be some freak medical thing."

"How many times in dad's long and varied career has it actually been a freak medical thing and not some sign of an awful supernatural death?" Dean said.

"Uh, almost never," Sam answered, thinking about the answer.

"Exactly," Dean said.

"All right, let's go talk to the daughter. I can put my 'We can be BFFs' game face on," Shia said, walking out in front of the boys and putting her back into a ponytail.

Arriving at the daughters, house, Sam, Dean and Shia arrived in the middle of the funeral reception. Pictures of him were scattered over all the counters, and everyone in the room were wearing either suits for the men of black dresses when it came to the women.

"Feel like we're underdressed," Dean mumbled as they walked through the house.

"Yeah, we're underdressed, but we have to walk like we own the place. We are absolutely flawless! Just fabulous," Shia said dramatically. Sam rolled his eyes playfully while Dean grinned. They were lead to group of girls. All of them looked at Sam and Dean like they were meat and the girls were the hungry lion. Shia shifted on her feet uncomfortably, she noticed that one of the girl were staring at her zit.

"You must be Donna right?" Dean said as they stepped up to her.

"Yeah," Donna answered.

"Hi uh—we're really sorry," Sam said with true sympathy.

"Thank you," Donna said with a small smile.

"I'm Sam, this is Dean and his girlfriend Shia. Us two," Sam said, indicating himself and Dean. "We worked with your dad."

"You did?" Donna said skeptically.

"Yeah. This whole thing. I mean, a stroke," Dean said.

"I don't think she really wants to talk about this right now," her friend sat beside her, Charlie, said, looking sternly up at Sam, Dean and Shia.

"It's okay. I'm okay," Donna said to her friend.

"Were there any symptoms?" Dean said after a short pause, knowing that Donna was ok with the going on. "Dizziness? Migraines?"

"No," Donna answered.

"That's because it wasn't a stroke," Lily sat from behind Donna, finally turning to the rest of the group.

"Lily, don't say that," Donna said to her little sister.

"What?" Shia asked both Lily and Donna.

"I'm sorry, she's just upset," Donna said.

"No, it happened because of me," Lily said, tears welling up behind her eyes.

"Sweetie, it didn't," her sister told her.

"Lily," Shia said, walking to her and kneeling down to her eye level. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Right before he died, I said it," Lily said almost cryptically.

"You said what, honey?" Shia asked.

"Bloody Mary- Three times in the bathroom mirror," Lily answered, to which Shia looked up to gage Sam and Dean's reactions. "She took his eyes, that's what she does."

"That's not why dad died," Donna said. "This isn't your fault."

"I think your sister's right, Lily," Dean said. "There's no way it could have been Bloody Mary. Your dad didn't say it, did he?"

"No I don't think so," Lily said. Dean smiled down at her, although he made a mental note to look into the theory of Bloody Mary, like he was sure Sam and Shia were.

Now having talked to the daughters, the trio snuck inside the house, and up the stairs. Walking down the same hallway Mr. Shoemaker and his daughter had a couple of nights ago, they made their way to the bathroom. They pushed open the bathroom door, a clear blood stain on the floor.

"The Bloody Mary legend. Damn," Shia said in an almost whisper.

"Dad ever find any evidence that it was a real thing?" Sam asked.

"Not that I know of," Dean said as he and Shia walked into the bathroom. Sam stayed by the door, stooping to the floor to examine the blood stain

"I mean, everywhere else all over the country, kids will play Bloody Mary, and as far as we know, no one dies from it," Sam said.

"Yeah well maybe everywhere it's just a story but here it's actually happening," Dean suggested.

"The place where the legend began?" Sam asked. Dean merely shrugged his shoulders.

"But according to the legend, the person who says…." Before going on, Sam looked sideways to the mirror of the medicine cabinet. Shia had just opened it and it was now pointing his way. For fear of what might happen, Sam shut the mirror before continuing."The person who says you know what, gets it. But here…."

"Shoemaker gets it instead, yeah," Shia said.

"Right," Sam said.

"Never heard anything like that before."

"Still, the guy did die right in front of the mirror," Dean said. "And the daughter's right. The way the legend goes, 'you know who' scratches your eyes out."

"It's worth checking in to," Shia said. From outside of there bathroom, the three heard the sound of shoes approaching them. Seeing who it was, Sam, Dean and Shia quickly left the bathroom just as Charlie stopped in front of them.

"What are you doing up here?" Charlie asked.

"We… we, had to go to the bathroom," Dean said, clearly the first thing that came to his mind, and earning a glare from Sam and Shia.

"Who are you?" Charlie asked.

"Like we said downstairs, we worked with Donna's dad," Dean said.

"He was a day trader or something, he worked by himself."

"No, I know, I meant…." Dean began to stammer out, just having been caught.

"And all those weird questions downstairs, what was that? So you tell me what's going on, or I start screaming."

"Oh please," Shia said rolling her eyes.

"All right, all right," Sam said, taking over before Dean could come up with another ridiculous lie. "We think something happened to Donna's dad."

"Yeah, a stroke," Charlie said matter-of-factly.

"That's not a sign of a typical stroke, honey," Shia said, pointing towards the blood marked floor.

"We think it might be something else," Sam said.

"Like what?" Charlie asked, still with the questions.

"Honestly? We don't know yet," Sam said. "But we don't want it to happen to anyone else. That's the truth."

"So… If you're gonna scream, go right ahead," Shia told Charlie, who remained quiet.

"Who are you, cops?" she said finally.

"Something like that," Dean said.

"I'll tell you what. Here," Sam said, taking a pen and a small piece of paper from his pocket which he wrote his number on. "If you think of anything, you or your friends notice anything strange, out of the ordinary… just give us a call."

Handing the paper to Charlie, Sam smiled politely before he, Dean and Shia left.

Searching up on Bloody Mary, if that was actually what was haunting this town, Sam, Dean and Shia made their way to the library.

"Say Bloody Mary really is haunting this town," Dean said as they walked to the library entrance. "There's gonna be some sort of proof. Like a local woman who died nasty."

"Yeah but a legend this widespread it's hard," Shia said as they stepped through the library door. "I mean, there's like 50 versions of who she actually is. One story says she's a witch, another says she's a mutilated bride, there's a lot more."

"All right so what are we supposed to be looking for?" Dean asked.

"Every version's got a few things in common," Sam said. "It's always a woman named Mary, and she always dies right in front of a mirror. So we've gotta search local newspapers, public records as far back as they go. See if we can find a Mary who fits the bill."

"Well that sounds annoying."

"No it won't be so bad, as long as we…." Shia began, turning to see that all the computers had 'Out of Order' written across them. "I take it back. This will be very annoying."

Sam was having another nightmare. Dean and Shia watched him with concern.

"We should wake him," Shia told Dean.

"Nah, he hasn't had much sleep lately," Dean said. Shia nodded as a response.

Gasping for breath, Sam woke up on his bed in the motel room, Dean and Shia looking up from their research as he woke.

"Why'd you let me fall asleep?" Sam asked simply.

"Cause I'm an awesome brother," Dean answered.

"So what did you dream about?" Shia asked.

"Lollipops and candy canes," was the answer Sam gave.

"Really? Must have been a fucked up candyland," Shia said.

"Did you find anything?" Sam asked, trying to draw the conversation away from his dreams.

"Oh besides a whole new level of frustration?" Shia said as Sam sat up. "No. We've looked at everything. A few local women, a Laura and a Catherine committed suicide in front of a mirror, and a giant mirror fell on a guy named Dave, which was oddly entertaining to read about , but uh, no Mary."

"Maybe we just haven't found it yet," Sam said, falling back against the bed.

"We've also been searching for strange deaths in the area," Dean said. "You know… eyeball bleeding, that sort of thing. There's nothing. Whatever's happening here, maybe it just ain't Mary."

Sam sighed, this investigation going nowhere. Just then, Sam's cell phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket, answering it.

"Hello?" he said. As the voice on the other end answered, Sam sat up, a look of concern across his features.

The caller had been Charlie. The three had just met up with her at a park. Charlie was sat crying, Shia beside her and Dean sat on the back of the bench while Sam stood over them.

"And they found her on the bathroom floor," Charlie said, continuing to tell them Jill's story. "And her… her eyes. They were gone."

"I'm sorry," Sam said.

"And she said it," Charlie continued, causing Dean and Shia to look up at Sam. "I heard her say it. But it couldn't be because of that. I'm insane, right?"

"Trust me, baby girl, you are not insane," Shia said, trying to be comforting.

"Oh God, that makes me feel so much worse," Charlie said as she dropped her head into her hands.

"Look," Sam began, making Charlie look up at him. "We think something's happening here. Something that can't be explained."

"And we're gonna stop it but we could use your help," Dean finished.

There first stop was now Jill's bedroom, the newest crime scene. Charlie walked into the room, closing the door behind her and walking over to the window. Sam, Dean and Shia were knelt beside the window, climbing in as Charlie opened it for them. Sam and Shia entered first, Shia catching the duffle bag that Dean threw her way, laying it on the bed and searching through it.

"What did you tell Jill's mom?" Sam asked as Dean climbed in the window.

"Just that I needed some time alone with Jill's pictures and things," Charlie answered, watching as Shia pulled something out of the bag and Dean closed the curtains. "I hate lying to her."

"Trust us, this is for the greater good," Dean said. "Hit the lights," he told Charlie, and she switched them all off.

"What are you guys looking for?" she asked as she walked back over to them.

"We'll let you know as soon as we find it," Dean answered. Shia switched on the digital camera she had in her hand, checking the image on the screen.

"Hey, night vision," she said to Dean as she held it out to her. Dean flicked a switch ad the camera went to night vision.

"Thanks, babe, it's perfect," Shia said, the camera now focused on Dean and he knew it.

"Do I look like Paris Hilton?" he asked, striking a pose. Laughing slightly, Shia walked to Jill's closet with the camera. She opened the door and aimed the camera round the edges of the mirror, searching for something only the night vision could see.

"So I don't get it," Sam said. "I mean… the first victim didn't summon Mary, and the second victim did. How's she choosing them?"

"Beats me," Dean said as Shia closed the closet and moved to Jill's dresser. "I want to know why Jill said it in the first place," Dean said, pointedly turning to Charlie.

"It's just a joke," Charlie answered.

"Yeah well somebody's gonna say it again, it's just a matter of time," Dean said.

Shia was now in the bathroom, aiming the camera round the edges of the bathroom mirror. She stopped at the bottom when the camera caught something. A trickle of something running down from behind the mirror.

"Hey, babe," Shia called from the bathroom, Dean turned to look her way."There's a black light in the trunk, right?" she asked.

There was, and Dean went to get it while Sam carried the mirror out of the bathroom lying it on the bed in front of Shia as climbed back in the window and threw Shia the black light. Peeling of the brown paper from the back, Shia shone the black light over the back. Under the black light, she found the image of a smudged handprint and a name written beneath it.

"Gary Bryman?" Charlie read off the name.

"You know who that is?" Sam asked.

"No," Charlie answered.

"Well, we have a mystery person I guess," Shia said.

Following up the Gary Bryman link, it had led them to a small house in town. Dean, Shia and Charlie sat outside while Sam went inside.

"So," Sam said, coming out of the house and stopping beside them. "Gary Bryman was an 8-year-old boy. Two years ago he was killed in a hit and run. The car was described as a black Toyota Camry. But nobody got the plates or saw the driver."

"Oh my God," Charlie mumbled as she heard the car name.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Jill drove that car," she told them.

"We need to get back to your friend Donna's house," Dean said, new theory's beginning to slip into place.

In the bathroom in the Shoemaker house, the trio had pulled the mirror from the bathroom wall and were now hunched over it while Sam shone the black light across the back. They found the same handprint, and another name written across the bottom.

"Linda Shoemaker. Damn, that bastard murdered his wife," Shia said as she read off the name. Looking further into this, Sam, Dean and Shia went downstairs to Donna and Charlie and asked about Linda Shoemaker.

"Why are you asking me this?" Donna said.

"Look, we're sorry, but it's important," Shia said.

"Yeah. Linda's my mom okay?" Donna said, answering their questions. "She overdosed on sleeping pills, it was an accident, and that's it. I think you should leave."

"Now Donna, just listen…."

"Get out of my house!" Donna cut in, running up her stairs and not listening at all.

"Oh my God," Charlie said once Donna was gone, turning to the three. "Do you really think her dad could've killed her mom?"

"Maybe," Sam answered.

"I think I should stick around," Charlie said.

"All right. Whatever you do, don't…." But Dean didn't need to finish that sentence.

"Believe me, I won't say it," Charlie told them.

Back at the motel, Dean sat at the laptop with Shia beside her, Sam wondering round the room and looking through what they already had.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're doing a nationwide search?" Sam asked.

"Yep," Dean said, his concentration still on the computer screen. "The NCIC, the FBI database. At this point any Mary who died in front of a mirror is good enough for me."

"But if she's haunting the town, she should have died in the town," Sam said.

"I'm telling you there's nothing local, we've checked. So unless you got a better idea…." Dean said, trailing off and knowing that he didn't.

"The way Mary's choosing her victims, it seems like there's a pattern," Sam said.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing," Shia said.

"With mister Shoemaker and Jill's hit and run," Sam said.

"Both had secrets where people died," Dean finished for him.

"Right," Sam said. "I mean there's a lot of folklore about mirrors-that they reveal all your lies, all your secrets, that they're a true reflection of your soul, which is why it's bad luck to break them."

"Right, right," Shia said, not noticing that the boy beside them seemed to have found something on the computer, his concentration kicking up a notch. "So maybe if you've got a secret, I mean like a really nasty one where someone died, then Mary sees it, and punishes you for it."

"Whether you're the one that summoned her or not," Sam said.

"Take a look at this," Dean said, letting them know he had fund something. Printing off from the site he had found, Dean printed two pictures. One of a woman lay by a mirror in a pool of blood, and the other of a handprint and the letter 'Tre'.

"Looks like the same handprint," Sam said, comparing it to the pictures they had taken from the mirror's in Jill's and Donna's house.

"Her name was Mary Worthington," Dean told them. "An unsolved murder in Fort Wayne, Indiana."

Finding out what they could on this case from the internet, Sam, Dean and Shia had tracked down the detective who had been on the case, and were now in Fort Wayne, Indiana, grilling the detective about Mary Worthington.

"I was on the job for 35 years," the detective told them. "Detective for most of that. Now everybody packs it in with a few loose ends, but the Mary Worthington murder. That one still gets me."

"What exactly happened?" Dean asked.

"You guys said you were reporters?" the detective said.

"We know Mary was 19, lived by herself," Sam began telling what they had probably thousands of other people who had the internet could easily find out. "We know she won a few local beauty contests, dreamt of getting out of Indiana, being an actress. And we know the night of March 29th someone broke into her apartment and murdered her, cut out her eyes with a knife."

"That's right," the detective said.

"See sir, when we asked you what happened, we wanted to know what you think happened," Dean said. Showing them what he thought happened, the detective led them into another room, pulling out his file on the Mary Worthington case.

"Technically I'm not supposed to have a copy of this," the detective said, opening up the folder to show them the pictures they had already found on the internet.

"Now see that there?" he said, pointing to the picture of the handprint. "T-R-E?"

"Yeah," Dean said.

"I think Mary was trying to spell out the name of her killer."

"You know who it was?" Sam asked.

"Not for sure. But there was a local man, a surgeon. Trevor Sampson," the detective said, pulling out a picture of him. "And I think her cut her up good."

"Now why would he do something like that?" Sam asked.

"Her diary mentioned a man that she was seeing. She called him by his initial, 'T'. Well, her last entry, she was gonna tell 'T' 's wife about their affair."

"Yeah but how do you know it was Sampson who killed her?" Shia asked.

"It's hard to say, but the way her eyes were cut out… it was almost professional."

"But you could never prove it?" Shia said.

"No. No prints, no witnesses. He was meticulous."

"Is he still alive?" Dean asked.

"Nope," the detective said, sitting down with a sigh. "If you ask me, Mary spent her last living moments trying to expose this guy's secret. But she never could."

"Where's she buried?" Sam asked.

"She wasn't. She was cremated," the detective said, and the three inwardly sighed in dismay.

"What about that mirror," Dean said, nodding at the picture. "It's not in some evidence lockup somewhere is it?"

"Ah, no. It was returned to Mary's family a long time ago."

"You have the names of her family by any chance?" Shia asked.

Sam, Dean and Shia were now driving away from Fort Wayne and back to Toledo, Shia on the phone ion the front seat of the car.

"Oh really?" she said into the phone. "Ah that's too bad Mr. Worthington. Me and my husband would have paid a lot for that mirror. Okay, well maybe next time. All right, thanks." She finished as she hung up the phone.

"So?" Dean asked.

"So that was Mary's brother," Shia told the brothers. "The mirror was in the family for years, until he sold it one week ago to a store called Estate Antiques. A little store in Toledo."

"So wherever the mirror goes, that's where Mary goes?" Dean said.

"Her spirit's definitely tied up with it somehow," Sam stated.

"Isn't there an old superstition that says mirrors can capture spirits?" Dean asked.

"Yeah there is," Shia answered. "Yeah, when someone would die in a house people would cover up the mirrors so the ghost wouldn't get trapped."

"So Mary dies in front of a mirror, and it draws in her spirit," Dean stated more than asked.

"Yeah but how could she move through like a hundred different mirrors?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but if the mirror is the source, I say we find it and smash it."

"Yeah, I don't know, maybe," Sam said. Before Dean or Shia could question his 'maybe', Sam's cell phone rang.

"Hello," he said into the phone. As the voice on the other end spoke, the look of concern came over Sam's face again.

"Charlie?"

At the motel where Sam, Dean and Shia were staying, they had Charlie sat on the bed, curled in a ball with her head in her knees. Shia sat beside her, watching as the two boys covered all the windows, mirrors, anything with a reflection. Any mirror they couldn't cover, they turned to the wall.

"Hey, hey it's ok," Shia said to Charlie as the boys finished covering the reflections. "Hey, you can open up your eyes Charlie. It's okay, all right?" Charlie did, slowly, as Sam sat on the bed beside Shia.

"Now listen," Shia continued. "You're gonna stay right here on this bed, and you're not gonna look at glass, or anything else that has a reflection, okay? And as long as you do that, she cannot get you."

"But I can't keep that up forever," Charlie said softly. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"No. No. Not anytime soon," Sam said comfortingly as Dean sat on the bed the other side of Charlie.

"All right Charlie. We need to know what happened," he said.

"No, we don't. It's her business, we just know someone got hurt", Shia whispered in Dean's ear. Dean gave her a look and ignored her.

"We were in the bathroom. Donna said it," Charlie said.

"That's not what we're talking about," Dean said. "Something happened, didn't it? In your life… a secret… where someone got hurt. Can you tell us about it?" Charlie paused for a minute, looking round at the three in the room with her. Shia rolled her eyes at Dean, she didn't agree with them asking about her personal life.

"I had this boyfriend," Charlie began eventually. "I loved him. But he kind of scared me too, you know? And one night, at his house, we got in this fight. Then I broke up with him, and he got upset, and he said he needed me and he loved me, and he said 'Charlie, if you walk out that door right now, I'm gonna kill myself.' And you know what I said?" As her memories came flooding out, Charlie's voice began to break as the tears came with it.

"I said 'Go ahead," she continued. "And I left. How could I say that? How could I leave him like that? I just… I didn't believe him, you know? I should have." The tears escape and she dropped her heads into her knees again, sobbing softly.

"Honey, listen to me. That wasn't your fault. Okay? It was his choice," Shia said as she rubbed Charlie's back comforting her.

Leaving Charlie in the reflection free room, Sam, Dean and Shia were now driving down to the store to get rid of Mary.

"You know her boyfriend killing himself, that's not really Charlie's fault," Dean said.

"Oh, I know," Shia said. Dean knew she was still pissed about him ignoring her about making Charlie spill her little secret, she didn't see a reason for them to know. Mary was after her and that's they needed to know.

"You know as well as I do spirits don't exactly see shades of gray, Dean," Sam said, his focus on staring blankly out of the window. "Charlie had a secret, someone died, that's good enough for Mary."

"I guess," Dean said.

"You know, I've been thinking. It might not be enough to just smash that mirror," Sam told them.

"Why, what do you mean?" Shia said, leaning forward in the back seat.

"Well Mary's hard to pin down, right?" he told them. "I mean she moves around from mirror to mirror so who's to say that she's not just gonna keep hiding in them forever? So maybe we should try to pin her down, you know, summon her to her mirror and then smash it."

"Well how do you know that's going to work?" Shia asked.

"I don't, not for sure," Sam said.

"Well who's gonna summon her?" Shia asked.

"I will. She'll come after me," Sam said blankly.

"You know what, that's it," Dean said as he roughly pulled the car over, causing Shia to be pushed back into her seat again. She mumbled 'Damn it, Dean.'

"This is about Jessica, isn't it?" Dean said once the car had been pulled to a stop. "You think that's your dirty little secret that you killed her somehow? Sam, this has got to stop, man. I mean, the nightmares and calling her name out in the middle of the night, it's gonna kill you."

"Listen to me," Shia said, leaning forward again. "It wasn't your fault. If you wanna blame something, then blame the thing that killed her."

"Or hell, why don't you take a swing at me?" Dean cut in. "I mean I'm the one that dragged you away from her in the first place."

"I don't blame you," Sam said quickly.

"Well you shouldn't blame yourself, because there's nothing you could've done."

"I could've warned her," Sam said, and the edge in his voice told Shia there was more to the story than they knew.

"About what?" Dean said, trying to keep his anger in check. "You didn't know what was gonna happen! And besides, all of this isn't a secret, I mean we know all about it. It's not gonna work with Mary anyway."

"No you don't," Sam said quietly.

"We don't what?"

"You guys don't know all about it. I haven't told you everything," Sam said, proving Shia's thoughts right.

"What are you talking about?" Dean said.

"Well it wouldn't really be a secret if I told you, would it?" Sam said, and all Dean could do was stare in shock and surprise.

"No," Dean said after a minute. "I don't like it. It's not gonna happen, forget it."

"Dean that girl back there is going to die unless we do something about it," Sam told his brother, his voice now adamant. "And you know what? Who knows how many more people are gonna die after that? Now we're doing this. You've got to let me do this."

Dean and Shia having been forced to give in, Sam was now trying to pick the lock outside of the antiques shop. The door successfully opened and the trio walked in only to be confronted with a shop full of antique mirrors.

"Well… that's just great," Shia said. Dean pulled out the picture of Mary's body lying beside the mirror, showing it to Sam and Shia so they knew what they were looking for.

"All right let's start looking," Dean said as they walked off in separate directions, Sam going one way, Shia and Dean the other. What they failed to notice was the small flashing light, signaling they had tripped the silent alarm.

"Maybe they've already sold it," Dean said as their search came up with nothing. While in the other side of the shop, Sam's flashlight came to rest ion the mirror in question.

"I don't think so," Sam called to Dean and Shia. They stepped up behind him, Dean taking out the picture of the mirror to make a comparison.

"That's it," Dean said, sighing heavily at what he knew was coming next.

"You sure about this?" Shia asked. In answer, Sam simply handed her the flashlight and heaved his own sigh before he turned to the mirror.

"Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary," Sam began, glancing over at Dean and Shia before he finished to find them both staring at him with an unsure look. Sam held his crowbar higher before he finished, ready to smash the mirror the minute Mary entered it.

"Bloody Mary," he finished.

Before Mary could appear in the mirror, they were distracted as a light flowed in through the store windows, Dean and Shia turning to it.

"We'll go check that out," Dean said. "Stay here."

"Be careful, Sam. I mean it," Shia said as they walked away. Being careful, Sam held a tighter grip on the crowbar.

"Smash anything that moves," Dean said as he and Shia cautiously rounded the corner. They found the source of the light outside the store. Car headlights.

"Crap," Dean muttered. Thinking that maybe the crowbar in Dean's hand looked a little too guilty, Shia took it from him and slid it down the back of a chest of drawers before she and Dean walked towards the door.

Outside of the shop, Dean and Shia found that the headlights belonged to a police car.

"Hold it," one of the officers now stood in front of Dean and Shia said.

"Whoa guys, false alarm," Shia said, raising her hands in a sign of surrender.

"We tripped the system," Dean finished.

"Who are you?" the officer asked.

"I'm the boss's kid, this is my wife," Dean answered.

"You're Mister Yamashiro's kid?" the officer asked.

Dean and Shia were still trying to explain their presence to the cops.

"Like I said, I was adopted," Dean said.

"Yeah," one cop said as the two cornered Dean and Shia, coming in closely from both sides. Dean looked over at him, who simply shrugged slightly at him, knowing just what he was gonna do.

"You know, we just—we really don't have time for this right now," Dean said. Getting rid of the ops the easy way to them, Dean and Shia went for the cops closest to them. Moving in quick motion, Shia elbowed her cop in the face and kicked his feet from under him, while Dean punched and backhanded his cop, both falling to the floor.

"Not bad," Dean said, looking over at Shia.

"You know me. Never was much for authority figures," Shia said with a smile as she turned back towards the shop, Dean following.

Inside the shop and Sam is still struggling against his reflection.

"You never told her the truth. Who you really were," Sam's reflection said as Sam continued falling closer to the ground.

"But it's more than that, isn't it?" the reflection continued. "Those nightmares you've been having of Jessica dying, screaming, burning—You had them for days before she died. Didn't you!? You were so desperate to ignore them, to believe they were just dreams. How could you ignore them like that? How could you leave her alone to die!? You dreamt it would happen!"

Before his reflection could say any more, Dean and Shia came running into the room, Shia smashing the crowbar through Mary's mirror. Sam remained still on the floor, and Shia knelt down beside him, making him look at her.

"Sam, Sammy! Are you alright?!" Shia called to him.

"It's Sam," Sam said weakly. Smiling with relief, Shia pulled Sam forward and kissed his forehead. Pulling back, Shia saw the blood trickling down Sam's eyes.

"God, are you really okay?" she said, the concern back.

"Uh, yeah," Sam said. Smiling at him again, Shia gently touched Sam's cheek as he smiled back at her. Shia put her forehead against his.

Standing a little away from them, Dean watched the two of them together. It was times like this when it really hit him how close his girlfriend and his baby brother were. He had never seen Shia worry about anyone as much as she did for Sam. They were two of a kind those two, always the ones with the information. So much in common. In the little moments of tenderness like this, he could see how much she cared about him.

And he knew Sam cared about her. He knew deep down that if it wasn't for Shia, Sam probably wouldn't have come on the hunt in the first place. When they had first pulled Sam away from college, Shia had gotten a much warmer welcome then he had. And he had expected that. Of all the people, Sam chose to keep in contact with Shia. He knew there was a bond between Sam and Shia he could never break or get into.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Dean moved closer to Sam and Shia.

"Come on, come on," Dean said as he and Shia helped Sam to his feet. Swinging his arms over their shoulders, they began to slowly walk out of the store. But what they didn't see behind them was Mary, crawling out of her frame. As the sound of glass cracking met their ears, the three turned to see Mary walking towards them. All three fell to the floor as blood began trickling from their eyes, Mary now extremely pissed.

Thinking fast, Dean weakly reached across and pulled a Mary in front of them, Mary now forced to look at her own reflection.

"You killed them!" her reflection echoed. "All those people! You killed them!"

Like all her victims before her, Mary began to choke, falling towards the ground. Before she could hit the floor, her body melted away, leaving a pile of blood where she stood. Dean threw the mirror forward, shattering it as it fell.

"Hey guys?" Dean said to the two beside him.

"Yeah?" Sam answered.

"This has got to be like… what? 600 years of bad luck?" Dean said. Sam and Shia chuckled weakly as Shia wiped some of the blood from her face.

The next morning, Sam, Dean and Emma drove Charlie back to her house.

"So this is really over?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, it's over," Dean said with a nod.

"Thank you," Charlie said softly to the three. Dean reached back and shook her hand gently as she stepped out of the car and began walking back to her house.

"Charlie?" Sam called to her, and she turned round."Your boyfriend's death… you really should try to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, you probably couldn't have stopped it. Sometimes bad things just happen."

Charlie smiled faintly as she turned back towards her house. Shia pulled forward in the back, leaning against Sam's chair.

"That's good advice," she said softly into his ear. Sam smiled weakly as Shia sat back and Dean drove off.

"Hey Sam?" Dean said once they had been driving for a few minutes.

"Yeah?" Sam answered.

"Now that this is all over, I want you to tell us what that secret is," Dean said.

"Look… you guys are my family and I'd die for either you," Sam said truthfully. "But there are some things I need to keep to myself."

Turning away from Dean and Shia, Sam held his attention on the street passing him by through the window. And the first thing that caught his eyes was Jessica, standing on the corner of the street in a white dress. Sam tried to keep his eyes on her, but as they turned the corner, she vanished. Sam continued to stare out of the window, wondering what had just happened. Had he really just seen Jessica, or was it his mind? The thought of his dead girlfriend was all that dominated his mind as they continued to drive.

A couple of hours later the were at a motel, Shia noticed that something was bothering Dean. She wanted a little time with her boyfriend.

"Sam, why don't you talk the impala and go get some supplies for me from the grocery store. Please?" Shia asked as she gave him a list. Sam leaves and Dean comes from out of the bathroom.

"Where did Sam go?" Dean asked walking over to Shia sitting beside her on the bed.

"Oh, I sent him the store for a bit. I just thought we needed sometime together," Shia said seductively. Dean looked at her and leaned in and kissed her on lips. The kiss deepened as she moved closer to him, Dean hands was roaming her body. She took his shirt off and start to kiss his neck. Moments later all of their clothing were gone, Dean laid her on the bed. He showered her face with kisses.

"Dean, I love you," Shia said breathlessly. Dean smiled at her. He kissed her as he inserted his penis inside her. The room was filled with moans from them both. When the were finished they cuddle together closely on the bed.

"We should get dress before Sam gets back," Dean said grabbing his shirt.

"Yeah, we should," Shia said heading to the bathroom. Dean smiled as he watched her leave. She was so beautiful.


	8. Hook Man

At an outdoor café, Dean and Shia are sat at the table with coffee's and the open laptop, waiting for Sam, who was on a nearby payphone.

"Wait, so, you mean to tell me that when I was with Bobby helping him with a job, you guys went to St. Louis and ran into a shape shifter...then it turned into you and now the cops are blaming you for all the murders?" Shia asked trying to process this story in.

"Yeah, when you put it that way...," Dean said to Shia taking a sip out if his drink.

"Hmm, that's pretty badass. I always had a soft spot for bad boys," Shia said as she put her hand on Dean's thigh. Dean looked down to where her hand were.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Dean asked with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Depends, would you want to be seduced?" Shia whispered in Dean's ear.

"Okay, we will be getting out own room the next time we stay at a motel," Dean said sending Shia a wink, which made her giggle.

"Alright, thank you for your time," Sam said as he hung up and headed back to the table.

"Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is gettin' cold over here, Francis," Dean said as he approached, looking over Shia's shoulder at the computer screen.

"Bite me," Sam said, taking a seat.

"So, anything?" Dean asked, referring to the phone call Sam had just made. Sam shook his head in answer.

"I had 'em check the FBI's Missing Persons Data Bank. No John Doe's fitting Dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations."

"Sam, I'm tellin' ya, I don't think Dad wants to be found," Dean said. Sam said nothing, just gave him a disappointed look.

"Check this out," Shia said, changing the subject and turning the laptop to Sam. It showed the article on Rich's death.

"It's a news item out of Planes Courier," she said. "Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

" 'The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road,' " Sam read from the article.

"Keep reading," Shia urged on. And he did.

" 'Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted as saying the attacker was invisible.' "

"Could be something interesting," Shia said once he finished.

"Or it could be nothing at all," Sam said. "One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man."

"But what if it is? Dad would check it out," Dean finished, giving Sam a look saying he knew he was right himself.

Taking on the case, Sam, Dean and Shia drove to the fraternity where Rich had lived. Sam and Dean got out of the car, not paying attention to the fact that Shia was refusing to budge.

"One more time, why are we here?" Sam asked.

"Victim lived here," Dean said simply, turning to his girlfriend to find she wasn't beside him instead she was looking at herself in a small mirror liking what she sees.

"Oh, would you come on," Dean said, turning to his girlfriend.

"I'm liking this style, babe. I should wear things like this more often, don't you think?" Shia said as she walked over to her boyfriend. Dean simply smiled at her.

"You can wear things like this in the bedroom, I wouldn't mind undressing you," Dean replied, Sam cleared his throat.

"Guys, again, enough with the extreme flirting. I would like to keep my food down," Sam said as Shia and Dean laughed a bit. They all turned to walk away until Shia stopped them.

"Wait, are you sure this outfit doesn't make me look fat?" Shia asked nervously. For a moment Dean thought she wouldn't be insecure about her outfit, but he was wrong. She was showing a lot of brown skin in the low cut top and mini skirt she was wearing. She stood in front of Dean, turning around so they could get a good look. Dean simply smiled, definitely liking what he was seeing.

"You look fine, baby," Dean said making Shia smile, taking her round the waist, Dean walked Shia up towards the dorm, Sam following them.

"Nice wheels," Dean said as they stopped in front of a group guys who were working on a car. They all turned to the trio, looking at them strangely.

"We're your fraternity brothers," Dean continued. "From Ohio. We're new in town. Transfers. Looking for a place to stay."

He grinned widely as he watched the guys give Shia the once over. She smiled sweetly. She was the type of girl who marveled over guys looking at her like this. Looking like this was the only way she was getting in as well, and she had no problems with that.

The boys, and Shia, were showed into the fraternity house and their new dorm room. There they found a shirtless frat boy in yellow shorts who was painting his body purple. With a strange look on their faces, they knocked on the door, catching the boy's attention.

"Who are you?" he asked as he turned to them.

"We're your new roommates," Dean answered, striding into the room with Shia at his side.

"Who's the babe?" he said smiling towards Shia.

"My girlfriend," Dean stated, taking this on board, the boy held the paint tin and brush out to Dean.

"Do me a favor?" he asked. "Get my back. Big game today."

"He's the artist," Dean said, pointing to Sam. "Things he can do with a brush."

With a mortified look on his face, Sam took the brush and can from the boy. Smiling, Dean flopped into a chair, tugging Shia onto his lap and picking up a magazine.

"So… Murph," Dean said, looking at the name on the magazine. "Is it true?"

"What?" he asked.

"We heard one of the guys around here got killed last week," Dean said.

"Yeah," Murph said, his voice dropping slightly.

"What happened?" Sam asked, speaking up for the first time.

"They're saying some psycho with a knife," he answered. "Maybe a drifter passing through. Rich was a good guy."

"Rich he was with somebody?" Sam asked.

"Not just somebody. Lori Sorensen."

"Who's Lori Sorensen?" Sam asked before turning to Sam. "You missed a spot. Just down there. On the back."

Sam just glared at him, an annoyed look on his face, while Dean and Shia grinned, Shia trying to hold back laughter.

"Lori's a freshman," Murph said in answer to Dean's earlier question. "She's a local. Super hot. And get this: she's a reverend's daughter."

"You wouldn't happen to know which church, would ya?" Dean asked.

Murph did in fact know what church. And right now, the service for Rich was in full flow.

"Our hearts go out to the family of a young man who perished," Lori's father, Reverend Sorensen was saying. "And my personal prayers of thanks go out as well because I believe he died trying to protect my daughter."

He turned to his daughter with a small smile. She just lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

"And now," he continued. "As time heals all our wounds, we should reflect on what this tragedy means. To us, as a church."

During his sermon, Sam, Dean and Shia, now back in her normal clothes, walked into the church. The door slammed behind Sam, the last of the three to walk in. the whole congregation, including Dean and Shia, went silent and turned to him.

"As a community, and as a family," the reverend continued, bringing the congregations attention back to him. "The loss of a young person is particularly tragic. A life unlived is the saddest of passings."

Sam, Dean and Shia took a seat at the back of the church, now being as quiet as possible. As they sat, Lori turned to them, and Sam smiled weakly at her.

"So, please, let us pray," Reverend Sorensen said. "For peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children."

The whole church bowed their heads in prayer, even Sam and Shia. All but Dean. Noticing this, Shia elbowed him in the side, motioning round the room. Seeing he was the only one still with his head up, Dean too bowed his head.

Once the mass had ended, the church populace made their way outside, chatting away in small groups. Lori and Taylor were part of this crowd, making their way out of the church.

"I can't," Lori said to her friend. "It's Sunday night."

"It's just us girls," Taylor told her. "We're gonna do tequila shots and watch Reality Bites."

"My dad makes dinner every Sunday night," Lori said.

"Come on, Lori. I know this has been hard, but you are allowed to have fun."

"I'll try." Was Lori's answer, to which Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Ok," Taylor said, pulling her friend into a hug. She backed away, mouthing the words 'You Better' as she left. Sam, Dean and Shia took her place, stepping g up beside her.

"Are you Lori?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Lori said as she turned to them.

"My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean, and his girlfriend Shia."

"Hi," Dean and Shia said together, waving slightly.

"We just transferred here to the university," Sam continued.

"I saw you inside," Lori said matter-of-factly.

"We don't wanna bother you," Sam said. "We just heard about what happened and..."

"We wanted to say how sorry we were," Dean finished.

"I kind of know what you're going through," Sam told her. "I… I saw someone… get hurt once. It's something you don't forget." Lori nodded slightly as her father walked up to them.

"Dad," Lori said, turning to him. "Um, this is Sam, Dean and Shia. They're new students."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Dean said as he shook the reverends hand. "I must say, that was an inspiring sermon."

"Thank you very much," the reverend said. "It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message." Dean chuckled slightly as Shia stepped forward with Dean's hand in hers.

"Um, me and boyfriend recently got engaged and we're looking for a church to have the wedding in," Shia said as she and Dean led the reverend away. "And we were hoping in you could help us out."

They moved the reverend away from his daughter, leaving Sam and Lori to talk in private.

"Tell me, Lori. What are the police saying?" Sam asked as they began walking in the opposite direction.

"Well, they don't have a lot to go on. I think they blame me for that," Lori said.

"What do you mean?"

"My story. I was so scared, I guess I was 'seeing things'," Lori said as they stopped walking.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't real," Sam said as the two held each other's gaze for a few seconds.

With what little they knew, the three made their way to the library, walking through the stacks.

"So you believe her?" Dean asked.

"I do," Sam said.

"Yeah, I think she's hot, too," Dean said off-handedly, earning himself a smack across the back of the head.

"Do you want a girlfriend?" Shia asked crossing her arms.

"I have a girlfriend," Dean said confusingly.

"Not if you keep talking like that," Shia said turning away from him. Dean wrapped his arms around hugging her from behind giving her soft kisses on the neck.

"No, man, there's something in her eyes," Sam said ignoring the conversation between Dean and Shia. "And listen to this: she heard scratching on the roof. Found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car."

"Wait, the body suspended?" Shia said, clicking on to what Sam was getting at. "That sounds like the…."

"Yeah, I know, the Hook Man legend," Sam said, filling in the blanks.

"That's one of the most famous urban legends ever," Shia said. "You don't think that we're dealing with the Hook Man."

"Every urban legend has a source. A place where it all began."

"Yeah, but what about the phantom scratches and the tire punctures and the invisible killer?" Dean said, for once being the level-headed one.

"Well, maybe the Hook Man isn't a man at all," Sam said. "What if it's some kind of spirit?"

Now sat at a table in the back of the library, Sam, Dean and Shia sat back while a librarian placed boxes in front of them.

"Here you go. Arrest records going back to 1851," she told them as Dean blew dust from the box, coughing as it came back in his face.

"Thanks," Shia said to the woman with a friendly smile.

"Ok," she said as she walked away.

"Oh my God, Dean, I want her shoes," Shia whined motioning towards the librarian's shoes.

"I'll take you to a store later," Dean said before giving her a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she said smiling at him. Dean turned to Sam.

"So, this is how you spent four good years of your life, huh?" Dean said.

"Welcome to higher education," Sam said as he opened one of the boxes. Dean and Shia followed suit with the other box, the three now reading through the contents of them. Hours later, and they were still there, a very bored Dean and Shia almost falling asleep.

"Hey, check this out," Sam said, knocking Dean and Shia back to reality. "1862. A preacher named Jacob Karns was arrested for murder. Looks like he was so angry over the red light district in town that one night he killed 13 prostitutes. Uh, right here, 'some of the deceased were found in their bed, sheets soaked with blood. Others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh.' "

"Sick bastard," Shia said.

"Get this, the murder weapon?" Dean said, turning to another page. "Looks like the preacher lost his hand in an accident. Had it replaced with a silver hook."

"Look where all this happened," Shia said, pointing to another page.

"9 Mile Road," Dean read.

"Same place where the frat boy was killed," Sam said.

"Nice job, Dr. Venkmen. Let's check it out," Dean said, slapping Sam on the back as he gathered the research and the three left.

Up at 9 Mile Road, Sam, Dean and Shia had just pulled up and were rummaging round in the trunk.

"Here you go," Dean said, handing Sam a rifle.

"If it is a spirit, buckshot won't do much good," Sam said.

"Yeah, rock salt," Dean said, handing the rounds to him.

"Huh. Salt being a spirit deterrent."

"Yeah," Dean said, taking out a coil of rope and closing the trunk. "It won't kill 'em. But it'll slow 'em down."

"That's pretty good," Sam said as they walked towards the trees. "You guys and Dad think of this?"

"No, Shia did, but you don't have to be a college graduate to be a genius," Dean said. They were stopped in their tracks as they heard a noise in the trees in front of them. Sam instinctively rose the shotgun, fanning around for the location of the sound.

"Over there. Over there," Shia said, pointing towards the trees. Sam cocked the gun and aimed in that direction, watching as a figure walked towards them.

"Put the gun down now!" the figure yelled, who appeared to be the sheriff with his own gun. "Now! Put your hands behind your head."

"W-w-wait, okay, okay!" Dean called out.

"Now get down on your knees. Come on, do it! On your knees!" The three obliged, getting on their knees as Sam dropped the shotgun. "Now get down on your bellies. Come on, do it!"

"He had the gun!" Dean moaned out as they did, lying on their stomachs.

Up at the sheriff's department, Sam, Dean and Shia are finally leaving after spending the night trying to get Sam off the hook.

"Saved your ass!" Dean exclaimed as they walked out. "Talked the sheriff down to a fine. Dude, I am Matlock."

"But how?" Sam asked.

"We told him you were a dumbass pledge and that we were hazing you."

"What about the shotgun?"

"We said that you were hunting ghosts and the spirits were repelled by rock salt," Shia filled in. "You know, typical Hell Week prank."

"And he believed you?" Sam said.

"Well, you look like a dumbass pledge," Dean said blatantly as they walked up to the car. Just then, the officers who they had spent the night persuading ran from the building, into their cards and sped away. Sam, Dean and Shia exchanged a look. Most definitely something bigger going on.

And the big event was that at Lori's sorority. Police and ambulance were parked everywhere, and the impala joined them as it drove by. The occupants watched Lori as she sat in the back of an ambulance, wrapped in a blanket, before driving off round the building.

Also watching his daughter, Reverend Sorensen was stood talking to the sheriff.

"I just want to take her home," he said almost pleadingly.

"I understand that, Reverend," the sheriff told him. "But Lori's now connected to two murders, and I can't ignore that."

"Listen to me. Arrest her now, or let me take her home." The sheriff thought about this for a minute, turning to Lori.

"Make sure she's available for questioning," the sheriff said eventually.

"Thank you," he said, walking over to his daughter. "Sweetheart, you ready to go home?"

Without a word, Lori stood up and let her father guide her away. Round the back of the building, Sam, Dean and Shia parked up on the street and made their way to the back of the sorority.

"Why would the Hook Man come here?" Sam said. "This is a long way from 9 Mile Road."

"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime," Dean suggested. "Maybe it's about something else."

While they were talking, a pair of sorority girls came out of the building, intrigued by the commotion outside. Sam, Dean and Shia lean up against the side of the building, hiding amongst some bushes to avoid being seen.

"Dude, sorority girls!" Dean said almost playfully. "Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?"

Shia thumped Dean on the arm, bringing his attention to Sam trying to climb onto the balcony. Dean helped him up, then Shia, then joined them himself. They crept over to Lori's window, climbing through in the same order. Dean ungracefully fell through the window, landing equally ungracefully on top of his girlfriend, she got up quickly and walked pass Sam.

"Oh, sorry!" Dean muttered.

"Be quiet," Sam hissed at him.

"Me be quiet? You be quiet!" Dean retorted.

"Both of you be quiet!" Shia hissed back at both of them. They were now in Lori's walk-in closet. Sam opened up the door and watched as the sheriff leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Only then did Sam, Dean and Shia step into the room, seeing the blood, the police tape, and the writing on the wall.

" 'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?' " Sam said, reading off the wall. "That's right out of the legend."

"Yeah, that's classic Hook Man all right. It's definitely a spirit," he said, tapping the end of his noise to indicate the smell around them that the police hadn't picked up on as more than the normal smell of a dead body.

"Yeah, I've never smelled ozone this strong before," Shia said, agreeing with him as he moved to the window.

"Hey, come here," Sam said, his eyes still on the wall. Dean walked over to stand beside him and Shia.

"Does that look familiar to you?" he asked, indicating the cross symbol below the writing.

Dean and Shia did in fact recognize the symbol. They figured where from as they sat on the hood of the car, going over the research they already had on Reverend Jacob Karns.

"It's the same symbol," Sam said, pointing to the symbol of the cross that was etched into the hook the reverend had for a hand. "Seems like it is the spirit of Jacob Karns."

"All right, let's find the dude's grave, salt and burn the bones, and put him down," Dean said as Sam read over the research.

" 'After execution, Jacob Karns was laid to rest in an Old North Cemetery. In an unmarked grave,' " Sam read off to them, the information clearly annoying his brother and best friend as much as it was him.

"Super," Shia said sarcastically, thinking just how long it was actually gonna take them to get this seemingly simple job finished.

"Ok. So we know it's Jacob Karns," Sam said. "But we still don't know where he'll manifest next. Or why."

"I'll take a wild guess about why," Dean said as the three moved to get back into the car. I think your little friend Lori has something to do with this."

Looking for new information, Sam picked possible the worst place to bring Dean. A college party. While Sam stood in the middle of the room, the goings on around him not of any matter to him, Dean and Shia walked towards him, Dean with a look on his face like Christmas had come early.

"Hey," Sam said as they stopped in front of him.

"Man, you've been holding out on me," Dean said, his excitement showing in his voice. "This college thing is awesome!" He winked and smiled slyly at a passing girl. He tensed slightly, expected the usual smack from Shia. Instead she glared at him, and the look told him that he was in trouble later.

"This wasn't really my experience," Sam told him.

"Let me guess. Libraries, studying, straight A's?" Dean said. Sam just nodded. "What a geek. Alright, you do your homework?"

"Just because he stayed focus on school work doesn't make him geek, I would totally date geek. That way I wouldn't worry about jerky jocks who flirt with almost every girl," Shia said looking at Dean. Yeah, she was upset with him.

"Babe, that was noth-," Dean started to say.

"I don't want to hear it," Shia said looking away from him. Dean knew he had to make it up to her soon or she'll be angry all week.

"Yeah," Sam said, finally getting excited about something. "It was bugging me, right? So how is the Hook Man tied up with Lori? So I think I came up with something."

He unravelled a large and very old looking piece of paper, showing it to Dean and Shia.

"1932. Clergyman arrested for murder," Dean read off. "1967. Seminarian held in hippie rampage."

"There's a pattern here," Sam said. "In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who openly preached against immorality. And then found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force. Killings carried out, get this, with a sharp instrument."

"What's the connection to Lori?" Dean asked.

"A man of religion? Who openly preaches against immorality?" Sam told them, making it seem like it was obvious. And what Sam really was getting at hit them before he continued. "Except maybe this time, instead of saving the whole town, he's just trying to save his only daughter."

"Reverend Sorensen," Dean filled in the blanks. "You think he's summoning the spirit?"

"Maybe," Sam said.

"Or you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?" Shia reminded them.

"Yeah," Dean said. "The spirit latches onto the reverend's repressed emotions, feeds off them, yeah, okay."

"Without the reverend ever even knowing it," Shia finished.

"Either way, you two should keep an eye on Lori tonight," Dean told Sam.

"What about you?" Sam asked with a nod. Dean attention was momentarily caught by an attractive blonde girl smiling at him from beside the pool table.

"I'm gonna go see if we can find that unmarked grave. You think you two gonna be alright," Dean said. Just then a very attractive walk past Shia.

"Hey," the guy said sending Shia a wink. Dean noticed that Shia was blushing, he stood beside Shia and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Hey," Dean answered for Shia, she giggle at Dean being randomly protective. "On second thought, Sammy, why don't you stay here and keep an eye on Lori?" Sam nodded as Dean dragged Shia with him.

Despite her almost desperate want to stay at that party, Shia was now searching through the graveyard with Dean, the only light the flashlight beam in front of them. The silence of the night was suddenly disturbed as a twig broke behind them. Jumping round, Shia gripped onto Dean's arm. Dean laughed slightly at the hunter beside him who had the spooks so suddenly.

"All the things we've seen and you're still scared of a cemetery," Dean said to her.

"Just shut up and let's find this thing quickly, I want to go back to the party and flirt with that hot guy. You know, since apparently this relationship isn't monogamous," Shia snapped out at him. They stopped walking for a second and Dean turned to her.

"Babe, I'm sorry," Dean said looking down at Shia.

"That's the problem. You're always sorry. You always look and flirt with other girls like I'm not in front of you, and I'm sick of it! I'm serious when I say if you keep this up then you really won't have a girlfriend anymore," Shia said breaking at the end of her last sentence. Dean looked at her and saw all the hurt and pain he's been causing her, she looked at the ground. Dean lifted her chin up with his fingers wanting her to look at him.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I hate when you're mad at me. The whole flirting thing comes natural for me and I'm sorry. I'm not good at this whole relationship thing, but I'm trying. If we weren't together, I don't know what I'd do," Dean said giving her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Okay. Enough with the chick flick moment. Let's go find the body," Shia said giving him a small smile.

They did just that, walking through the headstones. Despite trying to put on a brave front, Shia still had a vice like grip on Dean's arm. The flashlights beam finally fell across a gravestone with the familiar cross pattern engraved into it.

"Here we go," Dean said as they walked towards it.

Back at the graveyard, the reverends grave had almost been dug up, thanks to Dean. Shia knelt beside the open grave, watching but not helping.

"That's it," Dean said, breathless and his t-shirt sticking to him. "Next time, I get to watch the cute girl's house." This earned him a light tap across the head with Shia foot, drawing his attention to her.

"What did we just talk about?" Shia asked with her arms crossed.

"You know, this would go a lot quicker if you helped," Dean said.

"I'm the girl of the group remember, and I got my nails done for this job...I wouldn't want to get them dirty," Shia said, smiling at the guy who was glaring at her. "Besides digging graves is a mans job." Shia heard Dean mumble the word 'Bitch', so she kicked some of the dirt back in the grave. Dean sent her a dirty look.

"Ah, my bad," Shia said. Dean rolled his eyes and continued digging.

"Hello, preacher," Dean said, throwing his shovel aside, and Shia could swear he aimed at her.

The next morning, Sam stood outside a hospital room, watching through the window as Lori stood beside her father's bed. The sheriff stood beside him, questioning on the events of last night.

"We were just talking," Sam said. "Then Lori's dad came out. And then he appeared."

"A big man?" the sheriff said. "Carrying a weapon, some kind of hook?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ever seen him before?"

"No, sir."

"Son, it seems every time I turn around, I'm seeing you. I suggest you try to stay out of trouble."

"Yes, sir," Sam said with a nod. His attention was drawn by his brother voice as he saw him and Shia trying to get past two officers.

"No, it's alright, we're with him. He's my brother," Dean was telling the officers before turning to Sam. "Hey! Brother!" He and Shia smiled and waved brightly to Sam.

"Let them through," the sheriff said and the officers stepped aside, letting them passed.

"Thanks," Dean said in the politest tone he could as the sheriff walked away and they made their way to Sam. Shia rushed forward, hugging him fiercely.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied as he laced his own arms round her waist hugging her back.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked.

"Hook Man," Sam said simply as he pulled away from Shia.

"You saw him?" Dean said.

"Damn right. Why didn't you torch the bones?"

"What are you talking about, we did," Shia said. "You sure it's the spirit of Jacob Karns?"

"It sure as hell looked like him. And that's not all. I don't think the spirit is latching on to the reverend."

"Well, yeah, the guy wouldn't send the Hook Man after himself," Dean said.

"I think it's latching onto Lori," Sam told the two confused looking people in front of him. "Last night she found out her father is having an affair with a married woman."

"So what?" Dean said.

"So she's upset about it. She's upset about the immorality of it," Sam said, trying to make them understand his point. "She told me she was raised to believe that if you do something wrong, you get punished."

"Ok, so she's conflicted," Dean said. "And the spirit of Preacher Karns is latching on to repress the emotions and maybe he's doing the punishing for her, huh?"

"Right. Rich comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, Dad has an affair."

"Remind me not to piss this girl off," Shia said in all honesty.

"But we burned those bones, we buried them in salt," Dean said. "Why didn't that stop him?"

"You must have missed something."

"No," Shia said. "We burned everything in that coffin."

"Did you get the hook?"

"The hook?" Dean said, the confusion in his voice matching that on Shia's face.

"Well, it was the murder weapon, and in a way, it was part of him."

"So, like the bones, the hook is a source of his power," Dean said.

"So if we find the hook..." Sam began.

"We stop the Hook Man," the three finished together with a smile.

Back at the library, the trio were no looking for where the hook might be, not the preacher.

"Here's something, I think," Dean said. "Log book, Iowa State Penitentiary. Karns, Jacob. Personal affects: disposition thereof."

"Does it mention the hook?" Sam said.

"Yeah, maybe," Dean said as he continued to read. "Upon execution, all earthly items shall be remanded to the prisoner's house of worship, St. Barnabas Church."

"Isn't that where Lori's father preaches?" Emma said.

"Yeah," Dean answered.

"Where Lori lives?" Sam said.

"Maybe that's why the Hook Man has been haunting reverends and reverends' daughters for the past 200 years," Dean said.

"Yeah, but if the hook were at the church or Lori's house, don't you think someone might've seen it?" Sam said. "I mean, a bloodstained, silver-handled hook?"

"Check the church records," Shia suggested. And that's what they did. It was of an hour before Shia came up with the answer.

"St. Barnabas donations, 1862," Shia read off. "Received silver-handled hook from state penitentiary. Reforged." With a heavy sigh, she closed the book.

"They melted it down. Made it into something else." And they were now no closer to finishing this.

Taking their chances, the three had parked up outside the church, stood beside Impala.

"Alright, we can't take any chances," Dean said. "Anything silver goes in the fire."

"I agree," Sam said. "So, Lori's still at the hospital. We'll have to break in."

"Alright, take your pick," Shia said, motioning towards the church and the house.

"I'll take the house," Sam said.

"Ok," Dean said, watching as Sam walked away. "Hey," he said, making Sam turn again.

"Stay out of her underwear drawer," he said, which only earned him a glare before he turned to walk away again. Shia giggled at Dean's comment.

In the church basement, Dean and Shia stood throwing all the silver items they had found into the fire. They turned to the sound of footfalls as Sam came running down the stairs with a bag.

"I got everything that even looked silver," Sam said.

"Better safe than sorry," Shia said as they began throwing the new stuff on the fire. The sound of footfalls met their ears again, but this time everyone they thought was in the church was down here.

"Move, move," Dean said as he motioned Sam and Shia up the stairs, him following with his gun drawn. Upstairs, pushing the door open cautiously, they found the new occupant was Lori, sat crying alone in a pew, crying.

Putting the gun away, Dean motioned for Sam to go over to her while he and Shia went back into the basement. Sam moved quietly into the main church, stepping up beside her.

"Lori?" he said softly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she turned to him.

"What is it?" Sam asked, ignoring her question and kneeling beside her.

"I've been trying to understand what's been happening," Lori told him. "Why? Now I know so I'm praying for forgiveness."

"Forgiveness for what?"

"Don't you see? I'm to blame for all this. I've read in the Bible about avenging angels."

"Trust me, this guy—he's no angel," Sam said, trying to comfort her.

"I was so angry at my father," Lori said, ignoring his comment. "Part of me wanted him punished. And then he came and he punished him."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. I don't know how, but it is. I killed Rich. Taylor, too. I nearly killed my father."

"Lori..."

"I can see it now," she cut in. "They didn't deserve to be punished. I do."

At her final statement, Sam's attention was drawn to a noise from the back of the church. He watched as the candles extinguished, a slow breeze blowing through them.

"Come on. We gotta go," Sam said, bringing her to her feet. He led her towards the basement door but before he could open it, the hook man's hook came crashing through the wood, inches away from their heads.

"Go!" Sam screamed, running down the aisle with Lori close behind him. They ran into the back room, the hook man close behind them, smashing through the glass on the door Sam had just closed. Standing protectively in front of Lori, Sam let the hook man swing at him a couple of times, dodging each swing. But as he turned to run, his attention on Lori, the hook man swung again, this time catching Sam across the shoulder. He screamed out in pain, unable to do anything as an invisible force pulled Lori back across the floor.

"Come on. You okay?" Sam called out as he ran t Lori, stopping beside her. Before he could help her to her feet, the hook man appeared and knocked Sam backwards. Getting to his feet, Sam pulled himself up behind the hook man. Before he could attack, Dean and Shia ran round the corner, Dean with his gun drawn.

"Sam, drop!" Dean yelled. Sam did, crouching to the ground as Dean shot the hook man, watching as he disappeared.

"I thought we got all the silver," Sam yelled from his position beside Lori.

"So did I," Shia yelled back.

"Then why is he still here?"

"Well, maybe we missed something!" Dean yelled. It was then that Sam turned to Lori, noticing the silver cross necklace round her neck.

"Lori, where did you get that chain?" Sam asked.

"My father gave it to me," she answered.

"Where'd your dad get it?" Dean asked.

"He said it was a church heirloom, he gave it to me when I started school."

"Is it silver?!" Sam asked the pivotal question.

"Yes!" Lori called back to him. At her answer, Sam ripped the chain from her neck. The hook man decided to make himself known again then, a long scratch mark being drawn down the wall by an invisible someone as Dean and Shia turned to watch it getting closer.

"Sam!" Shia called as she turned back round, motioning for Sam to throw her the necklace. He did as Dean threw him the rifle and rock salt. While Sam shot at his invisible target, Dean and Shia ran to the basement to throw the last silver object onto the fire.

Sam tried to reload the gun against his wounded shoulder but was stopped in his attempts as the hook man knocked the rifle from his hand. With nothing else to do but wait for his brother and best friend to come through, Sam and Lori crawled away from their attacker, backing against the wall as he towered over them.

As the necklace began to melt in the furnace below, the hook man stopped, his hook raised in the air. The first thing to melt away was his hook, the rest of his body burning into nothing. As the hook man disappeared for good, Dean and Shia run into the room. The trio share a knowing look. At last, this was over.

Daylight breaking, police cars and ambulances were now parked outside the church, the sheriff taking Dean and Shia's statement.

"And you saw him, too? The man with the hook?" the sheriff asked.

"Yes, I told you, we all saw him," Dean said. "We fought him off and then he ran."

"And that's all?" the sheriff asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yeah, that's all," Shia said.

"Listen. You two and your brother…."

"Oh, don't worry, we're leaving town," Dean said, cutting off the guys sentence before he could say the inevitable. They walked to the car, waiting for Sam who was at the ambulance, getting his arm bandaged up with Lori watching over him.

"You gonna be okay?" Lori asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered, standing up.

"I still don't know what happened," Lori said. "But I do know you saved my life. My father's, too. Thank you."

All Sam gave was a simple nod and a smile as he turned to leave, heading back to the car where Dean was watching him through the mirror. Leaning forward from the back seat, Shia prodded Dean lightly in the back of the head.

"Stop it," she said. One look at her face and Dean knew what she meant. It wasn't the watching, but the interfering into his baby brother's life. With a sigh, Dean faced the front as Sam climbed into the car.

"We could stay," Dean said, knowing, despite Shia's warnings, the only way his brother would do anything would be with his interfering. But all Sam did was shake his head. Watching Lori through the mirror, Dean could clearly saw the disappointed look on his face. Shaking his own head in disappointment, Dean drove away, leaving the latest link in their chain behind, and ready to make a new one as they drove to their next destination.

About eight hours later, the trio stopped at a motel. Dean ordered a room for him and Shia leaving Sam a room for himself. Shia put her bag on the floor as she got herself ready for bed.

"So, we're not going to talk about this," Dean asked walking toward Shia.

"Talk about what?" Shia asked looking at Dean.

"You know...us...why we're always fighting about the same things," Dean said as he sat down on the bed.

"There's nothing to talk about Dean."

"Yes, there is! I can't just sit here knowing that you're hurting. What can I do to make you believe how much I care about you. I don't hurt you intentionally, I never mean to hurt you," Dean said as he looked her in the eyes. Shia smiled and leaned in to kiss him. Dean deepen the kiss by pulling her closer, Shia took the opportunity to lay him on the bed so she could straddle his waist putting her on the top position. Long story short, the spent the whole night expressing how much the care about each other.

* * *

**I know that I skip episodes, I write the ones that don't piss me off or easy to put Shia into. Also, check out my poll and vote. It's important. xx**


	9. Bugs

At a tavern somewhere outside of Oklahoma, Sam lay against the hood of the Impala, reading a newspaper as he waited for his brother and friend. They had been in there for ages now, getting money their way, while Sam opted to wait outside. And that had paid off. The article he was reading now had the headline 'Local Death A Medical Mystery'.

The sound of laughter catching his ears, Sam looked up to see Dean and Shia walking out of the tavern, Dean counting a wad of cash.

"You know, we could get day jobs once in a while," Sam said, sitting up.

"Hunting's our day job," Dean said with a smile.

"And the pay is crap," Shia finished for him as he counted the money in his hand.

"Yeah, but hustling pool? Credit card scams?" Sam said, clearly disapproving of how the pair in front of him chose to get their income. "Not the most honest thing in the world, guys."

"Well, lets see. Honest... Fun and easy," Dean said, holding his hands out either side of him. Mimicking weighing scales, his weight and his mind went towards the hand with the money and the easy option. "It's no contest. Beside, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."

"Well, how we were raised was jacked," Sam said.

"Yeah, says you," Dean replied, counting the money in his hands. "We got a new gig or what?" Sam jumps off the car as Dean nods to the paper in his hands.

"Maybe. Oasis planes, Oklahoma. Not far from here. A gas company employee," Sam said, throwing the newspaper onto the hood of the car for Dean and Shia to see. "Dustin Burwash supposedly died from Cruetzfeldt-Jakob."

"Huh?" Dean said, confusion written on his face.

"Human mad cow disease," Shia clarified for him.

"Mad cow. Wasn't that on Oprah?" Dean said.

"You watch Oprah?" Sam said as he and Shia stared at Dean, their expressions laced with amusement they were having trouble hiding. Dean hesitated, suddenly embarrassed and wishing he hadn't said a thing.

"So this guy eats a bad burger," Dean said, trying to change the subject. "Why is it our kind of thing?"

"Mad cow disease causes massive brain degeneration," Sam said, taking pity on his brother and getting back to business. "It takes months, even years, for the damage to appear. But this guy Dustin, sounds like his brain disintegrated in about an hour. Maybe less."

"Ok. That's weird," Dean said.

"Yeah. Now, it could be a disease. Or it could be something much nastier."

"All right. Oklahoma," Dean said as the trio hopped back into the car. "Man. Work, work, work. No time to spend my money."

"Your money? I'm pretty sure I helped," Shia said climbing in the backseat.

"Okay, our money," Dean said sending his girlfriend a wink.

Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up outside of Oklahoma Gas & Power, stepping out of the car and walking up to Travis who was stood beside his van.

"Travis Weaver?" Sam said as the trio walked up to him.

"Yeah, that's right," Travis said as he turned to them.

"Are you the Travis who worked with Uncle Dusty?" Dean said.

"Dustin never mentioned nephews with a beautiful girlfriend," Travis said with a confused look, but the look went away when he saw Shia...then he noticed that Dean was holding her hand.

"Really?" Dean said with a bright smile. "Well, he sure mentioned you. He said you were the greatest."

"Yeah," Sam agreed with him, keeping up the story.

"Oh, he did?" Travis said, seeming somewhat proud of the fact.

"Listen, we wanted to ask you, what exactly happened out there?" Dean asked, getting right to the point.

"I'm not sure," Travis told them, the smile fading. "He fell in the sinkhole. I went to the truck to get some rope, and by the time I got back..." His voice trailed off, not wanting to remember what he saw at that construction site.

"What did you see?" Dean asked, needing to get the answer.

"Nothing. Just Dustin," Travis said.

"No wounds or anything?" Sam said.

"Well, he was bleeding from his eyes and his ears, his nose," Travis told them. "That's it."

"So you think it could be this whole mad cow thing?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. That's what the doctors are saying."

"But if it was, he would've acted strange beforehand like dementia, loss of motor control," Sam said. "You ever notice anything like that?"

"No. No way. But then again if it wasn't some disease, what the hell was it?"

"That's a good question," Dean muttered.

"You know, can you tell us where this happened?" Shia asked, knowing they weren't gonna get anymore out of Travis.

"Yeah," Travis told them.

Going on the directions Travis had given them, the trio drove into Oasis Planes, pulling up beside the sinkhole Dustin had fallen down and getting out of the car.

"Huh. What do you think?" Dean asked as they ducked beneath the tape surrounding the area.

"I don't know," Sam said. "But if that guy Travis was right, it happened pretty damn fast."

"So, what, some sort of creature chewed on his brain?"

"No, there'd be an entry wound," Shia said. "Sounds like this thing worked from the inside."

"Looks like there's only room for one," Dean said, aiming the flashlight down the hole.

"Good luck boys because I'm not going down there," Shia said, knowing exactly what he was getting at and doing the 'girly' thing. No way was she going down a small, dark hole.

"You wanna flip a coin?" Dean said to his brother as the three stood up and Dean walked over to a length of piping nearby.

"Dean, we have no idea what's down there," Sam said.

"All right. I'll go if you're scared," Dean said, walking back over to them. "Scared?"

"Flip the damn coin," Sam said, not all the pleased about being accused of being scared. Dean laughed as he pulled a coin from his pocket.

"All right, call it in the air, chicken," Dean said, flipping the coin. Sam snatched it out of the air before it could hit Dean's hand again.

"I'm going," Sam stated.

"I said I'd go," Dean said, smiling slightly.

"I'm going," Sam repeated more adamantly, taking the piping from his brother and tying it round his waist.

"All right," Dean said, stepping back and taking the other side of the piping.

"Sam, honey, be careful," Shia said as she watching him get ready to go down the hole

"Don't let him drop me," Sam said to his best friend as she moved to him, helping him tie the piping tighter round his waist, making sure herself that he wasn't dropped.

Sam had gone down the sinkhole, and had not been dropped by either his brother or Shia, and he was now sat in the passenger seat of the car, flicking a small, dead beetle he had found down there across the palm of his hand.

"So you found some beetles," Shia said, leaning forward from the backseat. "In a hole in the ground. That's shocking, Sam."

"There were no tunnels," Sam said, defending his actions. "No tracks, no evidence of any other kind of creature down there. You know, some beetles do eat meat. It's usually dead meat, but…."

"How many did you find down there?" Dean asked.

"Ten."

"It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat out some dude's brain," Dean said.

"Well, maybe there were more," Sam said, still defending his actions and his thoughts.

"I don't know. Sounds like a stretch to me," Dean said.

"Well, we need more information on the area, the neighborhood, whether something like this has ever happened before," Sam said. And an idea came to Dean's mind as he noticed a sign flashing past the window as they drove.

"What?" Sam asked, noticing his brother's attention was elsewhere.

"I know a good place to start," Dean said. Sam and Shia's attention went the same way Dean's was, and they saw an advertisement sign for a barbeque.

"I'm kind of hungry for a little barbeque, how about you?" Dean finished with a smile, getting a look from Shia. "What, we can't talk to the locals?" Again, the look from Shia, knowing there was more to it then that.

"And the free foods got nothing to do with it?" Shia said.

"Of course not. I'm a professional."

"Right," Shia said, totally not believing him as Dean pulled up to a nearby curb. Still, Sam and Shia followed him out of the car and towards the house.

"Growing up in a place like this would freak me out," Dean said, looking round at their surroundings.

"Why?" Sam asked, clearly shocked at his brothers statement.

"The manicured lawns, 'How was your day, honey'? I'd blow my brains out."

"There's nothing wrong with normal," Sam said, this clearly being the kind of life he would lead.

"I'd take your family over normal any day," Shia said, stepping back a little to look around at Dean, and probably hers too, idea of hell. Sam and Dean continued towards the house, knocking on the front door. A few seconds later, the door was opened and a middle aged man stood in front of them, smiling brightly.

"Welcome," he said.

"Is this the barbeque?" Dean said, his smile just as wide.

"Yeah. Not the best weather, but…." He trailed off as he held his hand out to the brothers.

"I'm Larry Pike, the developer here. And you are…?" he introduced himself.

"Dean. This is Sam," Dean introduced them both. He turned to introduce Shia, only to find her still on the edge of the lawn, looking round at the houses and slowly making her way towards the boys.

"Sam, Dean," Larry said, drawing Dean's attention back to him. "Good to meet you. So you two are interested in Oasis Plains?"

"Yes, sir," Dean said, a little overly friendly.

"Let me just say, we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color… or sexual orientation." At his comment all Dean could do is stare while Sam stood there, trying not to laugh. Both, for a moment, were stuck on what to say.

"We're brothers," Dean eventually said, reaching behind him and hoping Shia was now close enough. She was, and he pulled her tightly into his side.

"Shia. My wife," he said matter-of-factly. Smiling brightly at the man she was being introduced, Shia wriggled slightly in Dean's tight embrace, his hands digging almost painfully into her sides.

"Our father is getting on in years," Sam continued to explain. "We're just looking for a place for him."

"Great. Great. Well, seniors are welcome too. Come on in," Larry said as he walked back into the house, Sam, Dean and a slightly confused Shia following.

"Wife? You could have said girlfriend," Shia whispered to Dean.

"Are you complaining?" Dean asked.

"No, it just caught me by surprise."

Sam, Dean and Shia followed Larry through the house and into the backyard, smiling and feigning interest at what Larry was telling them.

"You said you were the developer?" Sam asked, continuing with his questioning and knowing it wouldn't be hard to get answers out of this guy. Very long and drawn out answers. Shia got bored very easily, so she decided to tease Dean by giving him a slight pinch on the bum. Dean jumped slightly by surprise and send Shia a look. Shia gave him a small smile and a wink and mouthed the words 'Later'.

"Eighteen months ago," Larry continued. "I was walking this valley with my survey team. There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains."

Walking them through the garden as he spoke, Larry now stood beside a middle-aged blonde woman with a friendly face and smile.

"This is my wife, Joanie," Larry introduced the blonde woman.

"Hi there," Joanie said, offering her hand to Sam, Dean, and Shia.

"Hi," Dean said, taking her offered hand.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Joanie said again, turning her attention and hand to Sam.

"Sam, Dean, and his wife Shia," Larry said, introducing them.

"Pleasure," Joanie said.

"Tell them how much you love the place, honey," Larry said to his wife. "And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses."

"Right," Joanie said with a smile.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Larry said, walking away from the brother's and his wife.

"Don't let his salesman routine scare you," Joanie said when she had all three of their attention. "This really is a great place to live." Joanie smiled as another woman with a beaming put on smile and wearing a business suit quickly walked up beside them. Shia wiggled out of Dean's grip to grab a plate of potato chips, she was so hungry. She left the table to stand next to Dean again.

"Hi, I'm Lynda Bloom, head of sales," she said, introducing herself to what she saw as potential buyers.

"And Lynda was second to move in. She's a very noisy neighbour, though," Joanie told the boys as she walked away and Lynda let out a burst of false laughter.

"She's kidding, of course," Lynda clarified. "I take it you three are interested in becoming homeowners."

"Well…." Dean stuttered out.

"Yeah, well…." Sam also stuttered.

"Well, let me just say that we accept homeowners of any race, religion, colour, or sexual beliefs," Lynda said, coming up with a different assumption as Larry had. What the hell did she think was going on?

"This is my husband," Shia said motioning to Dean. Lynda smiled at the couple. "This is Sam my brother in law, we were looking for a house to start in."

"Oh, well, houses out her were perfect for raising families. Do you plan on having children?" Lynda asked with a friendly smile.

"Yes, we are," Dean said. Shia gave him a surprised look. "We're thinking about having a couple. Right, honey?" Dean asked Shia, she sent Lynda a quick nod.

"Well, I think you two are a lovely couple," Lynda said to them.

"Thank you," Dean said through his smile. "We're gonna go talk to Larry. Ok, Sam?" Turning to walk away, Shia lightly tapped Sam on the bum, causing Sam to jump slightly. Sam turned and watched as Dean and Shia made their way back to the house.

With his brother and Shia gone, Sam turned back to Lynda, smiling falsely and mentally cursing his brother for the situation he had just put him in.

Inside the house, Dean and Shia are being shown round the house by Larry.

"Now, houses like this are perfect for big families. I assume you lovely couple will be considering that soon?" Larry asked show the couple the living room. Shia nodded while Dean thought of an awful lie.

"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact...she's pregnant right now," Dean said wrapping an arm around Shia's waist and pulling her towards him. Shia gave him a hard look. Now, she would have to go along with it and she knew nothing about pregnancy.

"Oh really? How far along are you?" Larry asked Shia, she said the first number that came to mind.

"About 15 weeks," Shia lied. She made a mental note to slap Dean in the face later.

"You're not showing yet? My wife was showing around that time," Larry asked almost skeptically.

"Well, the doctor said I'll pop one of these days," Shia said sending Larry a smile smile.

"Well, do you know the sex yet? In some cases the doctors can tell already," Larry asked. Man, he is really interested in this whole pregnancy thing. Shia looked at Dean asking for help through her eyes.

"It's a boy. Yeah, we're excited for a boy," Dean said sending Larry a smile.

"Well, each house will have a small room. You can turn it into a nursery. I'm assuming your brother will be living with you, so he'll have a room to himself...then there's your father. He could have have a room to himself. Hmm, when I think about you two should consider a house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Let's get into detail of the house, shall we?" Larry said walking towards the kitchen with Shia and Dean following.

"I'm going to kill you, Dean," Shia whispered in Dean's ear.

"Oh, I know," Dean said with a grin.

"You got three choices," Larry said as they walked down the stairs. "Carpet, hardwood and tile."

"Whoa," Shia said as they rounded the corner and saw a number of bug boxes, containing bugs. "Someone likes bugs."

"My son," Larry said, distaste evident in his voice. "He's into insects. He's very inquisitive."

"Hmmm," Dean said, following Shia's gaze to the bug boxes.

Back outside, Sam was stood listening to a lengthy discussion from Lynda about the benefits of moving into Oasis Plains.

"Who can say no to a steam shower?" Lynda said, trying her best to sell the place. "I use mine every day."

"Sounds great," Sam said with a strained smile that Lynda didn't seem to notice.

"You also have three different whirlpool tubs to choose from," she continued. Sam, searching round the yard, noticed the large spider that was slowly making it way towards Lynda's hand resting against the table. Looking up, Sam saw a young boy watching from a short distance away, holding back his laughter.

"The hardware for the tubs includes nickel, brass, and when you see the kitchen you can choose from…."

"Excuse me," Sam said, pushing her gently aside and picking the spider up from the table. Holding the arachnid on his hands, Sam made his way over to the young boy.

"Is this yours?" he asked, handing him the spider.

"You gonna tell my dad?" the boy asked, taking the spider from him.

"I don't know. Who's your dad?"

"Yeah. Larry usually skips me in the family introductions."

"Ouch. The first-name basis with the old man sounds pretty grim."

"Well, I'm not exactly brochure material."

"Well, hang in there. It gets better, all right. I promise."

"When?"

"Matthew!" Larry's voice rang out before Sam could answer him. Sam turned to see Larry marching over to him, Dean and Shia trailing behind.

"I am so sorry about my son and his pet," Larry said, emphasising the last word as he stopped beside his son, Matt.

"It's no bother," Sam said sincerely.

"Excuse us," Larry said, guiding Matt away from them.

"Remind you of somebody?" Sam said to Dean as he and Shia stopped in front of him. Dean looked over at Larry yelling at Matt the turned back to Sam, genuinely unsure of what he meant.

"Dad?" Sam clarified for him.

"Dad never treated us like that," Dean said.

"Well, dad never treated you like that. You were perfect. He was all over my case," Sam said, to which Dean just stared at him blankly, shaking his head.

"You don't remember?"

"Maybe he had to raise his voice, but sometimes you were out of line." Sam reaction to Dean's statement was a short burst of laughter.

"Right. Right. Like when I said I'd rather play soccer than learn bowhunting."

"Bowhuntings an important skill," Dean said as if it was a matter that needed defending.

"Whatever. How was your tour?" Sam asked. Shia, who had been silence the entire time the boys had been having their little discussion, deciding now was the best time make her voice heard. And safest probably.

"Oh, it was excellent. I'm ready to buy and have my baby in about seven months," Shia said, trying to lighten the situation. "So you might be on to something. Looks like Dustin Burwash wasn't the first strange death around here."

"What happened? And are you pregnant?" Sam asked.

"About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this: a severe allergic reaction to bee stings. And no! Do I look pregnant to you?! It was Dean's idea."

"More bugs," Sam said.

"More bugs," Dean said.

"I think we should get out of here," Shia said, turning to the Dean with a smirk. "You know, before Larry over there has you us picking out baby decorations and stuff."

Later that night, the pair drove back through Oasis Plains, Sam driving with Dean beside him and Shia in the backseat behind the boys. Sam flicked his eyes between the couple, sighing deeply while both seemed to be in their own worlds, Dean flicking through their father's journal and Shia with her head lay back against the seat.

"You know, we're gonna be lucky if Larry lets us near those houses again," Sam said into the silence. "You guys could have blown this with the whole pregnancy thing. What were you thinking? You knew Shia didn't know much about being pregnant."

"Hey, they were assuming we were gonna have kids someday, so I told them what they wanted to hear," Dean said looking at a sleeping Shia. "Besides, I wouldn't mind having kids with her anyway." It was moments like this when Sam knew that Dean loved his best friend, Dean would possibly quit hunting and settle down with her. Hmm, maybe one day.

"You have to admit, she does look like a motherly type. Hmm, a mom with a nice ass. That's perfect," Dean said with a small smile, Dean wasn't aware that Shia was awake the entire time they were talking.

"Oh God, Dean, you are such a pervert," Shia cried out, a shocked look on her face as she smacked Dean across the back of his head. Dean just continued smiling widely.

"What? It's not my fault you have a nice ass." Again, Shia swung out to smack Dean again, but Dean was quicker this time, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer from the backseat.

"You wanna quit that," he told her, still smiling. "You know I'm jokin' babe." Letting go of her wrist, Dean kissed his girl. And with her man somewhat distracted, Shia took the opportunity to get in the smack across the back of Dean's hand he had stopped her from a minute ago. Pulling away, Dean stared at Shia with wide eyes.

"I owed you that hit for the whole pregnancy thing anyway," she said with a smile.

"Guys. Back to the case please," Sam said, breaking up this little scene.

"Yeah," Dean said as they pulled their attention back to the job at hand. Dean went back to his father's journal while Shia leant against his chair, running her hand through his hair where she had smacked him twice as if soothing the spot.

"You know I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles?" Dean said, flicking through the journal. "What is it that could make different bugs attack?"

"Well, hauntings sometimes include bug manifestation," Sam said.

"Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity."

"Yeah, me neither," Shia agreed.

"Maybe they're being controlled somehow," Dean suggested. "You know, by something or someone."

"You mean like Willard?" Shia said off-handedly.

"Yeah. Bugs instead of rats."

"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals," Sam said. "Elementals, telepaths."

"Yeah, the whole Timmy-Lassie thing," Dean said, thinking for a moment.

"Larry's kid," Dean came up with. "Bugs for pet's."

"Matt?" Sam said, giving his name.

"Yeah."

"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula."

"Think he's out Willard?" Shia asked.

"I don't know. Anything's possible, I guess," Sam said, while Dean's attention was held by something out of the window

"Oh, hey, pull over here," Dean said suddenly. Sam did as he was told, pulling into the driveway of an empty house.

"What are we doing here?" Sam asked as Dean got out of the car, Shia following.

"It's too late to talk to anybody else," Dean said simply, opening up the garage door.

"We're gonna squat in an empty house?" Sam said, getting the picture. Dean nodded, making Shia smile widely.

"I wanna try the steam shower. Come on," Dean said giving Shia a seductive look.

"I love you at times," she exclaimed, her arms still wrapped round him. "Even when you are a jerk to me."

"Come on, I know some dirty things we can do in the stem shower!" Dean said with a smile at his girlfriend, noting the look Sam was giving him. Sam reluctantly drove into the garage Dean was still holding open. Passing by his brother, Sam reached out the open window and punched his brother in the stomach. Dean just rolled through the punch and closed the garage door after the car was inside.

Next morning in the house Sam, Dean and Shia had 'borrowed' for the night, Shia walked down the upstairs hall, following the sound of running water.

"You ever coming out of there?" Shia called into the closed bathroom door.

"What?" Dean's voice called back to her.

"Dean, a police call came in on the scanner," Shia called, this time banging on the bathroom door.

"Hold on," Dean replied, turning the water, which was clearly the shower, off.

"Someone was found dead three blocks from here. Come on." In reply, Dean this time spoke face to face, swinging the bathroom door open wearing two towels, one round his head and one covering his dignity round his waist.

"This shower is awesome. You know we can repeat all the things we did in thus shower last night," he said excitedly with a wide smile. As usual around Dean, Shia laughed despite herself.

"Come on!" Shia said, turning to walk away. As she did, Dean pulled her back to him, kissing her. Smiling against his lips, Shia pulled away from him, pulling Dean's dignity towel with her, which only caused Dean to close the door further to hide his dignity.

"Oh come on, it's nothing I haven't seen before. Now, move your ass ," Shia said with a sly smile, chucking Dean's towel back to him as she walked away and Dean closed the bathroom door again.

With Dean out of the shower, Sam, Dean and Shia followed their police report back down to Oasis Planes. To Lynda, the realtors, house to be exact. The three pulled up outside the crime scene where there were police cars and ambulances already in place. Getting out of the car in the rain, Sam and Dean opened up two umbrella's, Shia linking her arm through Dean's so she could get under the umbrella, that way her hair won't get wet, and walked towards where Larry was stood on his cell phone with his own umbrella.

"Look, I don't know anything more right now," Larry was saying in to the phone. "I'll have to call you back. All right." Larry hung up, looking up as Sam, Dean and Shia came to a stop in front of him.

"Hello. You're, uh, back early," he said nervously to the trio.

"Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighbourhood," Dean said casually.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"You guys met Lynda Bloom at the barbeque?" Larry said, turning to watch as the woman in question was loaded into the back of the coroner van in a body bag.

"The realtor," Sam said.

"Well, she uh… passed away last night," Larry told them.

"What happened?" Shia asked.

"I'm still trying to find out. I identified the body for the police," Larry said, turning to the police at the house door just in time to see them motioning him over.

"Look, I'm sorry. This isn't a good time," Larry said politely, turning back to the group of what he saw as potential buyers.

"It's ok," Shia said equally as polite with a small smile.

"Excuse me," Larry said, walking over to the house.

"You know what we have to do, right?" Dean said once Larry was out of ear shot.

"Yeah," Sam said simply. "Get in that house."

"See if we got a bug problem," Dean finished.

"Ew, I hate bugs," Shia said grimacing, Dean smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Once the police emptied out of the house, Sam, Dean and Shia decided it was their turns to look around. Professionals of a different kind.

Climbing a fence and jumping through a window at the side of the house, the group got into the house somewhat illegally, instantly finding the crime scene, with the black outline of Lynda's body as well as the left over blood.

"This looks like the place," Dean said, stepping cautiously over the body outline and into the bathroom. Picking up one of the towels from the bathroom floor, a number of dead spiders fell out of it.

"Spiders," Dean said, turning up to Sam and Shia. "From Spider-Boy?"

"Matt," Sam corrected. "Maybe."

"Okay, now that we have came to our conclusion. Let's get the hell out if here," Shia said looking at the dead spiders.

Following up on what was now their only lead, Sam, Dean and Shia sat in the car watching as Matt got off his school bus. But it wasn't towards his house where he was heading.

"God, I feel like gross watching kids get off the school bus," Shia said.

"Isn't his house that way?" Dean stated, pointing in the opposite direction to where Matt was heading.

"Yep," Sam said, watching as Matt walked into a wooded area.

"Where the hell is he going?" Shia said. To find out there answer, the three got out of the car, following Matt. They found him in a dense area of the woods, picking a grasshopper from a tree branch.

"Hey, Matt," Sam said as the young boy turned to him. "Remember me?"

"What are you doing out here?" Sam asked, surprised to see the trio here.

"Well, we wanna talk to you," Dean said.

"You're not here to buy a house, are you?" Matt said, stating what was now plainly obvious. "Wait. You're not serial killers?" he finished, getting a little weary of the trio while they smiled at his statement.

"No, no," Shia said with a small laugh. "No, I think you're safe, kid."

"So, Matt, you sure know a lot about insects," Dean said with a sarcastic smile.

"So?" Matt said.

"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?"

"I hear she died this morning."

"That's right. Spider bites," Dean said, trying to bait the boy out.

"Matt, you tried to scare her with a spider," Sam said, trying to take the softer approach.

"Wait. You think I had something to do with that?" Matt said.

"You tell us?" Shia said, her voice taking a tone somewhere between Sam and Dean's approach.

"That tarantula was a joke," Matt said, desperately trying to defend himself. "Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas-company guy."

"You know about those?" Sam said.

"There is something going on here," Matt said. "I don't know what, but… something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something." Picking up his bag, Matt walked further into the woods, Sam, Dean and Shia exchanging a quick look before following him.

"So if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your dad?" Sam asked as they walked. "Maybe he could clear everybody out."

"Believe me, I've tried, but, uh… Larry doesn't listen to me," Matt said.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son."

"I hear ya."

"You do?" Dean said, which earned him a look from Sam before turning back to talk to Matt.

"Matt, how old are you?" Sam asked.

"Sixteen," Matt answered.

"Well don't sweat, because in two years something great's gonna happen."

"What?"

"College. You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad."

"What kind of advice is that?" Dean said, a hint of some hidden emotions in his voice. "Kid should stick with his family."

Sam stopped suddenly, turning to Dean with a death glare which Dean returned as the two stared each other down. Holding them apart, Shia pushed her way between the two, talking directly to Matt.

"How much further, Matt?" Shia asked.

"We're close," Matt said, continuing further into the woods. Before following the young boy, Shia turned and smacked Dean across the back of the head.

"Stop it," Shia said, turning to also smack Sam across the back of the head. "Both of you, you're embarrassing."

Leaving the two boys to rub the sore spots on the back of their heads, Shia followed Matt. It was a few seconds before Sam and Dean followed her, and the four now stood in a clearing where there was a high and definite sound of buzzing.

"I've been keeping track of insect populations," Matt told them. "It's part of an AP science class."

"You two are like peas in a pod," Dean said sarcastically. Sam glanced quickly back at his brother, rolling his eyes.

"What's been happening?" he asked Matt.

"A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles, you name it. It's like they're congregating here."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," Matt answered truthfully, while this whole time, Shia had been staring out into the clearing.

"What's that?" she asked the boys around her, motioning out to a large mound of earth towards the opposite edge of the clearing. She looked over at Matt, who simply shrugged, then turned to her two boys. Dean also shrugged, but walked out towards it to investigate, Sam, Shia and Matt following. Dean tapped his foot against the top of the dirt, the light motion making the earth sink inwards to a small hole. Bending down with the other three stood around him, Dean poked into the hole with a stick, the wood tapping against something inside.

"There's something down there," Dean said to Sam and Shia as he reached down into the whole, digging through the mud while Shia watched him with a slightly disgusted look on her face, showing her girly side over the wet dirt and earthworm that her boyfriend was digging his hand through.

"Come on. Come on," Dean mumbled to himself, digging deeper into the hole.

"You are so not touching me for a while," Shia joked slightly while Dean finally pulled his hand from the dirt hole, pulling a human skull with it. "Could this job get any more gross?"

Searching for the origin of their newfound pile of skulls, Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up to a college campus. Opening the backseat, Sam covered the box of skulls with his coat before carrying it out and following Dean and Shia up to the campus steps.

"So a bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave," Sam said casually.

"Well, maybe this is a haunting," Dean suggested. "Pissed-off spirits, some unfinished business?"

"Yeah, maybe. The question is, why bugs? And why now?"

"That's two questions, Sam," Shia said, taking up Dean's post and trying to make the situation light.

"Hey, so with that kid back there, how could you tell him to just ditch his family like that?" Dean said to his brother, not taking Shia opportunity to keep a light tone to their conversation.

"Just, eh, I know what the kid's going through," Sam said.

"How about telling him to respect his old man? How's that for advice?" Dean said.

"Dean, come on," Sam said, coming to an abrupt stop and causing Dean and Shia to stop in front of him. "This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect dad. That's what this is about."

"Let's just forget it, all right. Sorry I brought it up," Dean said, beginning to walk away.

"I respected him," Sam called after his brother. "But no mater what I did, it was never good enough."

"So what are you saying, that dad was disappointed in you?" Dean said, stopping again.

" 'Was'? Is. Always has been," Sam said.

"Why would you think that?" Dean asked.

"Because I didn't want to bowhunt. Or hustle pool. Because I wanted to go to school and live my life. Which, in our whacked-out family, made me the freak."

"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters."

"Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house."

"I remember that fight," Shia said softly, speaking up for the first time during this little argument as she did indeed remember one little part of her childhood in the Winchester household.

"I seem to recall a few choice phrases coming out of your mouth," Dean continued.

"You know, truth is, when we finally do find dad, I don't know if he's even gonna want to see me," Sam said.

"Sam, your dad was never disappointed in you. Never," Shia said, trying to defuse the situation as best she could.

"He was scared," Dean finished.

"What are you talking about?" Sam said.

"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around," Dean said.

"But even when you two weren't talking, he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could," Shia said calmly. "Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."

"What?" Sam said, this being news to him.

"Yeah," Dean said simply.

"Why didn't he tell me any of that?"

"Well, it's a two-way street, honey," Shia said with a gently smile. "You could have picked up the phone."

For a moment, the three stood silent outside of the campus, tears forming in the back of Sam's eyes as he processed this new information.

"Come on. We're gonna be late for our appointment," Dean said, breaking the moment when he and Shia continued walking into the campus, Sam following a second later.

Inside the campus in a large lecture hall, Sam, Dean and Shia are waiting for their answers. And they come in the form of the professor as he walks back in carrying their box of skulls.

"So you three are students?" he asked the trio as they stand as he enters.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Yeah. We're in your class. Antro 101."

"Oh, yeah," the professor said, placing the box down on the desk while Sam, Dean and Shia stand in front of him.

"Yeah," Shia said giving him a polite smile. The professor smiled back, but his smile was full of lust as he eyed Shia up and down.

"You know? You should start sitting in the front, young lady," He said to Shia giving her a quick wink which Dean caught.

"So, what about the bones, professor?" Dean asked trying to change the subject off his girlfriend.

"This is quite an interesting find you've made," the professor told the three. "I'd say they're 170 years old, give or take. The time frame and the geography heavily suggest Native American."

"Were there any tribes or reservations on that land?" Sam asked.

"Not according to the historical records," the professor said. "But the, uh… relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time."

"Right," Shia said with her typical, sweet smile. "Well, are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?"

"Well, you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapulpa," the professor said. "It's about 60 miles from here. Someone out there might know the truth."

"All right," Dean said, smiling cheerfully at the two with him.

Sam, Dean and Shia made their way down to the Euchee tribe with their box of skulls. Pulling up beside a local, Dean stuck his head out, asking where they could get the rest of their information. He pointed them off in the opposite direction and Dean drove off, raise his hand in a thank you to the local.

Parking outside a small café, the trio got out and stepped inside, looking round at the patrons. Dean was the first to notice an old man sat at a nearby table playing solitaire. Pointing him out to Sam and Shia, they stood beside his table.

"Joe White tree?" Sam asked, watching as the old man looked up at them and nodded. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right."

"We're students from the university," Dean said.

"No you're not. You're lying," Joe said, his attention still on his card game.

"Ermm, well, truth is…." Dean tried.

"You know who starts sentence with 'truth is'? Liars," Joe told them, easily catching out the pairs bluff. Giving up, Dean turned to Shia and Sam, letting him have an attempt at getting the information they needed out of this guy.

"Have you heard of Oasis Plains?" Sam said.

"It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley." Shia continued.

"I like them. They're not a liars," he told Dean then turned back to speak to Shia and Sam. "I know the area."

"What can you tell us about the history there?" Sam asked.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Something…. Something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bines we found down there. Native American bones."

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me. What his grandfather told him," Joe said, beginning his story. "Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it: 'On the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village'. They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again. And the next and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman and child still in the village was dead." Joe paused slightly, and Sam Dean and Shia exchanged a look, what this might have to do with their current problem running through their minds.

"They say in the sixth night," Joe continued. "As the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens, that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. That nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."

"Insects," Dean said. "Sounds like nature to me. Six days."

"And on the night of the sixth day, none would survive."

With their new information, Sam, Dean and Shia headed out back towards their car.

"When did the gas-company man die?" Sam asked as they walked.

"Let's see," Dean said. "We got here Tuesday, so Friday the 20th."

"March 20th. That's the spring equinox," Shia said.

"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals," Dean repeated what Joe had said.

"So every year about this time, anybody in Oasis plains is in danger," Sam said. "Larry built his neighbourhood on cursed land."

"And on the sixth night, that's tonight."

"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break a curse?"

"You don't break a curse," Shia said as they stopped beside the car, getting in. "You get out of its way and let it raise hell on it's own. We gotta get those people out now."

With the sun set and the time of the curse slowly approaching, Sam, Dean and Shia sped down towards Larry's house, Dean with his cell phone pressed to his ear and Larry on the other end.

"Yes, Mr. Pike," Dean spoke into the phone. "There's a mainline gas leak in your neighbourhood."

"God. Really?" Larry replied, and it was clear to anyone, except perhaps Dean that Larry really didn't believe him. "How big?"

"Well, it's fairly extensive. I don't wanna alarm you, but we you're your family out of the vicinity for at least 12 hours or so. Just to be safe."

"And who is this again?"

"Travis Weaver," Dean lied. "I work for Oklahoma Gas and Power."

"Uh-huh," Larry said casually. "Well the problem is, I know Travis. He's worked with us for a year. So who is this?"

"Errr…." Dean stuttered slightly before snapping the phone shut in defeat.

"Give me the phone," Sam said, grabbing it from his brother and dialling. The phone dialled through to Matt, sat in his room.

"Hello?" Matt answered after around two rings.

"Matt, it's Sam," Sam voice replied from the other end of the phone.

"Sam, my backyards crawling with cockroaches."

"Matt, just listen. You have to get your family out of that house right now, ok?"

"What? Why?"

"Because something's coming."

"More bugs."

"Yeah," Sam answered, glancing quickly over at the two other occupants of the car. "A lot more."

"My dad doesn't listen in the best of circumstances. What am I supposed to tell him?"

"You gotta make him listen, ok?"

"Give me the phone. Give me the damn phone," Shia said, this time her snatching the phone away as she leant forward to the front seat.

"Matt, under no circumstances are you to tell the truth," Shia called down the phone. "He'll just think you're nuts."

"But… but he's my…." Matt stammered out.

"Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side and you gotta go to the hospital, ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah, ok," Matt said as both him and Shia hung up. Shia slapped the phone back into Sam's lap, glancing forward at him.

" 'Make him listen'," she mimicked. "What are you thinking?"

Hoping that Matt had managed to succeeded in getting his family out of their house and Oasis Planes, Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up outside the house….

Only to find the family car still parked outside.

"Damn it. They're still here. Come on," Dean said as the three jumped out of the car. From the living room window, Larry watched as the three approached his house. He raced outside himself, followed by his son.

"Get off my property before I call the cops," Larry called out to the trio heading up his path.

"Mr. Pike, listen…." Sam called out as the three came to a stop.

"Dad, they're just trying to help," Matt called from over his father's shoulder.

"Get in the house," Larry called back to his son. Matt looked over at Shia, who was giving him a look.

"Sorry. I told him the truth," Matt said to Shia.

"We had a plan, Matt. What the happened to the plan?" Shia said.

"Look, it's 12 am," Sam said, bringing the conversation back to the main point. "They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go. Before it's too late."

"You mean, before the biblical swarm?" Larry said sceptically.

"Larry, what do you think really happened to the realtor?" Dean butt in. "Huh. And the gas-company guy. You don't think something weird's going on around here?"

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy," Larry spat out. "You come near my boy or my family again, we're gonna have a problem."

"Well, I hate to be a downer, but we got a problem right now," Dean spat back.

"Dad, they're right," Matt finally spoke up again. "Ok, we're in danger."

"Matt, get inside!" Larry called back to his son again.

"No!" Matt said in reply.

"Now!"

"Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because this is crazy!" Larry cried out in all honesty. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Look, this land is cursed," Sam said, being the sensible one as always. "People have died here. Now are you gonna really take that risk with your family?"

"Wait," Shia said, stopping her friends rant as something else hit her ears. "You hear it?"

They did. In the distance, heading quickly their way was the sound of buzzing. The insect kind.

"What the hell…?" Larry stammered out as flies hit against the porch light, making it crackle with electricity.

"All right, it's time to go," Dean said, being the decisive one as always. "Larry, get your wife."

"Yeah," Larry said, suddenly believe them and turning to head back inside his house.

"Guys?" Matt said, his eyes staring out down the street. The others followed his stare and saw thousands and thousands of flies heading their way like a blanket across the sky.

"Oh, my God," Larry said, suddenly seeing that there was no way any of the people around him could be lying.

"We'll never make it," Shia said simply, stating what was clearly the obvious.

"Everybody in the house. Everybody in the house! Go!" Listening to Dean's commands, he, Sam, Shia, Matt and Larry ran back into the house, slamming the door shut behind themselves.

"Is there anyone else in the neighbourhood?" Sam asked Larry.

"No, it's just us," Larry answered as his wife walked out from the living room.

"Honey, what's happening?" Joanie asked her husband. "What's that noise?"

"Call 911," Larry called to her as a reply. Joanie did nothing, she just stared at her husband. "Joanie!" Larry called again, knocking her out of her stupor.

"Ok," Joanie said weakly, walking off to the phone.

"I need towels," Dean called out to Larry.

"The closet," Larry replied, running off with Dean and Shia to retrieve them.

"All right, we gotta lock this place up," Sam said to Matt. "Doors, windows, the fireplace, everything, ok?" With a small nod, Matt followed the urgent Sam up the stairs while his mother held the phone against her ear, listening.

"The phones are dead," Joanie said as Dean, Shia and Larry came back into the room, arms laid with blankets.

"Must have chewed through the phone lines," Dean said as he and Shia knelt beside the front door, rolling blankets into the crack between door and floor. The lights in the house all suddenly blinked out, leaving them only with the small and creepy illumination from the moonlight streaming through the windows.

"And the power lines," Shia said simply, looking round at the darkened house.

"Maybe my cell…." Larry said, grabbing for his cell from the desk draw. "No signal," he said when he looked down at the useless cell in his hands.

"You want get one," Dean said, picking up on something else on the windows. "They're blanketing the house."

Shia, Larry and Joanie watched as well as tons of flies and other flying insects slapped heavily against the windows, covering them with a dark sheet that began blocking out what little light was coming through. Sam and Matt now joined the group downstairs, the upstairs now secured.

"So, what do we do now?" Larry asked, turning to Sam, Dean and Shia, who he now considered the experts in this.

"We try to outlast it," Sam said as Dean, without a word, dashed off towards the kitchen. "Hopefully the curse will end at sunrise."

" 'Hopefully'?" Joanie said sceptically.

In the kitchen, Dean was now rummaging through all the different products under the sink, trying to ignore the almost eerie sound of both the buzzing of the flies and the slaps as they hit against the windows. Keeping his attention on the boxes beneath the sink, Dean finally found what he was looking for. A can of bug spray.

Heading back to the others, Dean received an odd look from Joanie when she saw what he was now holding in his hand.

"Bug spray?" she said questioningly.

"Trust me," Dean said. Just then, the soft sound of creaking echoing from the living room joined all the other all too disconcerting sounds around the house.

"What is that?" Matt's scared voice squeaked out as Sam, Dean and Shia walked tentatively into the living room.

"The flue," Shia said softly, knowing all too well what was happening. And so did the brothers.

"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs," Dean called to the others, backing towards the stairs carefully but quickly. Just then, the last thing in the world they had wanted to happen happened as the flue broke and thousands of wasps darting out into the house. A woman scream, clearly Joanie's, rang through the house as the group ran for the stairs, ducking, covering and swatting away the wasps. Dean picking up the rear of the group, held up his light lighter to the spray can and sprayed, turning the can in to a flame-educed mini weapon he aimed at the approaching insects.

"Everybody upstairs!" Dean yelled to the group behind him. "Now! Go, go, go! Go!"

The five of them obeyed, running past Dean and up the stairs while he continuing spraying his mini flame thrower towards the insects. Once the others were past him, Dean stopped his flame, concentrating on running up the stairs after the others, where they were heading to the loft. Larry pulled down the loft door and ladder, sending his wife and son up before him.

"Go on Matt, go!" Larry called as Matt crawled into the loft, climbing up after him. Sam, Dean and Shia quickly following them, Dean spraying his make-shift flame thrower at the opening of the loft, discouraging any insects from coming closer.

"Come on!" he called to his brother and girlfriend, who closed the loft door and followed him over to where there were small holes being made in the ceiling, sawdust falling like small torrents of snow.

"Oh, God. What's that?" Joanie said, the fear really kicking in now.

"Something's eating through the wood," Dean said in answer.

"Termites," Matt said, answering the unspoken question.

"All, right, everybody get back," Shia commanded the rest of the civilians to their group. "Get back! Get back!"

Listening, Matt, Larry and Joanie moved towards the back of the loft just as the half eaten section of the loft fell through, letting in a swarm of angry wasps. While Dean set alight the can again, Sam began kicking away a section of panel from a nearby box. Seeing what he was doing and getting the idea, Shia kicked loses a pole from the edge of the room.

"You got it?" Sam asked as he held the panel against the hole in the roof.

"Yeah," Shia called back, propping the panel in place with the pole. But all was for nothing as another section of roof fell in, letting through more wasps. Matt, Larry and Joanie cowered further in the corner, Sam and Shia joining them while Dean sprayed the bug spray/flame thrower towards the incoming wasps. The first hole fell through again, just as the spray can ran out and their only good weapon against these bugs was lost.

"Oh, crap!" Dean yelled, throwing the empty can across the room and ducking with the others. The group huddled together, covering themselves from the onslaught of wasps streaming in through the holes in the roof. They covered their coats and clothing over their heads, Dean's arms and jacket wrapped round Shia, feeling the need to protect his girl even though he knew she didn't need protecting.

"Look," Matt suddenly said, pointing out towards the open roof. The rest of the group followed his gaze to see the morning sunlight now streaming into the attic. Sam, Dean and Shia slowly got to the feet, standing below the new skylight, watching as the wasps that had once been their attackers fled into the early morning sky.

"You know, I just realized something," Shia said.

"Yeah, and what's that?" Dean asked.

"The curse was for white people, right? Well, I don't know if you noticed but I'm not white. The curse couldn't have effect me." Shia told the boys.

"Yeah, you have a point," Sam said as he shrugged.

With now both the trauma of the night and the case over for Sam, Dean and Shia, They pulled up outside Larry's house to see him packing up a removals van with all their household items.

"What, no goodbye?" Dean said as the trio stepped up to Larry beside the van.

"Good timing," Larry said with a small smile as he turned to them. "Another hour and we'd have been gone."

"For good?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. The developments been put on hold while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again."

"You don't seem to upset about it," Shia said with a small smile of her own.

"Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career, but…." Larry trailed off as he watched Matt walked out of the house with a number of his boxes.

"Somehow… I really don't care," Larry finished as he turned back to Sam, Dean and Shia, who in turned smile back, glad to see there was something else they had managed to achieve on this case.

Pulling away from the others, Sam walked over to Matt, watching as he threw away seemingly everything he owned that was bug like.

"What's this?"

"I don't know," Matt replied with a short laugh. "They kind of weird me out now."

"Yeah, I should hope so," Sam said with a small laugh himself.

After saying their goodbyes, Dean and Shia leaned against the car, watching and waiting as Sam walked back to them, leaning beside Shia. They watched for a second as Larry and Matt walked back into the house, communicating like they never had before.

"I wanna find dad," Sam suddenly spoke into the silence.

"Yeah, me too," Dean replied, while Shia silently agreed with a nod, wanting the only family she had ever known back together just as much as the boys.

"Yeah, but I just…. I wanna apologize to him," Sam said.

"For what?"

"All the things I said to him. He was just doing the best he could." After his words, Shia leaned into Sam, hugging herself against his side.

"Well, don't worry," Shia said into his shoulder. "We'll find him. And you'll apologize. And then within fives minutes, you guy's will be at each other's throats."

"Yeah, probably," Sam said with a laugh, swinging his arm round his friend shoulders and sitting for a minute with her hugged to his side.

"Let's hit the road," he said finally, pulling away and standing up.

"Let's," Dean said, him and Shia following Sam into the car, the three driving away with the residual hope that it wouldn't be long before this somewhat dysfunctional family was back together again.


	10. Asylum

About an hour or two away from a new city, the Winchesters and Shia stopped at a gas station. Dean was outside filling the car up, Shia was beside him. Sam was in the store getting some snacks for the road.

"So, you saw your mom?" Shia asked. Dean nodded in response. "Damn, that's got to be tough. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah, I just wish I had you with me," Dean said looking at his girlfriend.

"I know, baby, but you know Bobby's rules when it comes to me. 'If I'm gonna be hunting with the Winchesters, I should come back home and hunt with my old man when he needs me on a case.' And trust me, he needed me on that case." Shia told Dean, she could have sworn she saw Dean smile a little. Shia walked over to Dean and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Dean Winchester."

"Yeah, well, ditto," Dean said with a smile.

"Okay, guys, ready to go. I have snacks," Sam said as he was walking back towards the car.

"Did you get me some chocolate?" Shia asked, Sam nodded and pulled out a candy bar. The trio got in the car and now they were on their way to a motel.

In a motel room, Sam, Dean and Shia were still on their search for the boy's father. Dean was sat at the table, flipping through the journal, while Shia was sat on the bed going through sheets of information that weren't in the journal. Sam was sat on the bed opposite Shia on his cell phone.

"No, dad was in California last we heard from him," Sam said into the phone. "We just thought he comes to you for munitions, maybe you seen him in the last few weeks. Just call us if you hear anything. Thanks."

"Caleb hasn't heard from him?" Dean asked as Sam hung up.

"Nope," Sam answered. "Neither has Jefferson or Pastor Jim. What about the journal? Any leads in there?"

"No," Dean said. "Same as last time I looked. Nothing I can make out. I love the guy, but I swear he writes like friggin' Yoda."

"You know, maybe we should call the feds," Sam suggested. "File a missing persons."

"We talked about this," Shia said, looking up from the sheets. "Your dad would be pissed if we put the feds on his tail."

"I don't care anymore," Sam said as Dean cell phone went off, Dean looking through piles of his clothes for it. "After all that happened back in Kansas. I mean, he should have been there, Dean. You said so yourself. You tried to call him and nothing."

"I know," Dean said. "Where the hell is my cell phone?"

"You know, he could be dead for all we know," Sam said, ignoring him.

"Don't say that. He's not dead. He's… he's…."

"He's what? He's hiding? He's busy?"

"Sam, this is John we're talking about. I'm sure he's fine," Shia said as Dean finally found his cell phone, flicking it open to see the sound was a message tone. He opened it and saw it was from an unavailable number and simply read 42, -89. Co-ordinates.

"I don't believe it," Dean said with a slight laugh.

"What, baby?" Shia asked as Dean sat on the bed beside her.

"It's a… a text message," he stumbled out. "It's co-ordinates."

After the message on Dean's phone, Shia was now sat with the laptop open, Dean beside her, while Sam paced the room, still going through this.

"You think dad was texting us?" Sam said for about the fifth time.

"He's given us co-ordinates before," Dean gave the reply he had before.

"The man can barely work a toaster, Dean," Sam said.

"Sam, this is good news," Dean assured him. "It means he's ok. Or alive, at least."

"Well, was there a number on the caller I.D.?"

"No, it said unknown."

"Ok, well where do the co-ordinates point?" Sam said, turning to Shia.

"That's the interesting part," Shia said. "Rockford, Illinois."

"Ok, and that's interesting how?" Sam said.

"Well, I checked the local Rockford paper. Take a look at this," Shia said, turning the screen do Sam could see. He moved beside her, looking at the screen as Shia magnified a picture of Officer Kelly.

"This cop, Walter Kelly," Shia went on. "He comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, then puts the gun in his mouth, blows his brains out. And earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum."

"Ok, I'm not following," Sam said as Shia began flipping through the journal. "What does this have to do with us?"

"Your dad earmarked the same asylum in the journal. Let's see," Shia said, turning to the right page and showing it to Sam and Dean. "Here. Seven unconfirmed sightings. Two deaths. Till last week, at least. I think this is where he wants us to go."

"This is a job," Sam said, standing up and pacing angrily with his fingers laced behind his head. "Dad wants us to work a job."

"Yeah, maybe we'll meet up with him," Dean said. "Maybe he's there."

"Maybe he's not," Sam said. "He could be sending us there by ourselves to hunt this thing."

"Who cares?" Dean said, standing up as Shia closed the laptop and listened to them. "If he wants us there it's good enough for me."

"This doesn't strike you as weird?" Sam said. "The texting? The co-ordinates?"

"Sam. Dad's telling us to go somewhere, we're going," Dean said, walking off to pack his stuff. Sam and Shia just sat staring after him, knowing that when it came to his father, there was no way in hell either of them were gonna change his mind.

Following the co-ordinates and leads they had from the cases at the asylum, Sam, Dean and Shia had turned up at a bar. Inside the bar, Officer Gunderson was sat solemnly at the bar on his own. That was until Dean and Shia approached him.

"You're Daniel Gunderson, right? You're a cop?" Dean said.

"Yeah, Gunderson said simply."

"I'm Nigel Tufnel, this is Kristine Guest," Dean said, him and Shia sitting opposite Gunderson. "We're with the Chicago Tribune. Mind if we ask you a couple of questions about your partner?"

"Yeah, I do," Gunderson said. "I'm just trying to have a beer here."

"It's okay, it won't take that long," Shia said with a sweet smile. "We just want to hear the story in your words."

"A week ago my partner was sitting in that chair," Gunderson said. "Now he's dead. You gonna ambush me here?"

"Sorry. But we need to know what happened," Dean said. From the other side of the bar, Sam walked aggressively over to them.

"Hey, buddy. How about leaving the poor guy alone, huh?" Sam said, grabbing Dean roughly from his chair and pushing him into the pool table. "The man's an officer. Why don't you show a little respect."

Dean leaned against the pool table for a minute, staring at Sam, before leaving. Dean gone, Sam turned to Shia, who held her hands up in defense.

"I'm out of here," Shia said, leaving Sam alone with Gunderson.

"You didn't have to do that," Gunderson said to Sam.

"Yeah, of course I did. Those kinda people are serious jerks. Let me buy you a beer, huh?" Sam said, turning to the barman and holding up two fingers. "Two."

"Thanks," Gunderson said as Sam took the chair he had just thrown Dean out of.

Outside the bar, Dean and Shia were leant against the car, waiting for Sam. Dean was massaging a sore shoulder while Shia just looked really bored.

"I'm so frigging bored," Shia said with a smile. "Why did we have to be the people who get kicked out of the bar?"

"You weren't kicked out, baby," Dean said. "I was, you left willingly."

"Oh no," Shia said, turning to Dean with a smile. "Did Sammy hurt you?"

"No," Dean said, although he continued to massage his shoulder. Smiling, Shia leant into his shoulder and kissed it gently, keeping her eyes focused on his face. Dean turned to her with a smile, spinning her so she was in front of him, stood between his legs, and making her giggle softly.

"You said you were bored, right?" Dean said.

"Yeah, I did," Shia said. In reply to this, Dean simply pulled Shia closer and kissed her.

"Helping?" he said as he pulled away, smiling cheekily.

"Maybe," Shia said, wrapping her arms round Dean's neck and pulling back to him to kiss him again. Unnoticed by the pair, Sam walked out of the bar behind them, seeing the two clearly too occupied to notice him. Getting their attention, Sam cleared his throat loudly, making the two pull apart and turn to him.

"Hey," Dean said, him and Shia separating to stand side by side again. "You shoved me kind of hard in there, buddy boy."

"I had to sell it, didn't I?" Sam said. "It's Method acting."

"Huh?" Dean said, to which Shia repressed a laugh at her clueless her boyfriend sometimes was. Gorgeous and a real sweet guy, but clueless.

"Never mind," Sam said.

"I'm just glad you didn't have to turn on me," Dean said with a smile at Sam. "What'd you find out from Gunderson?"

"So, Walter Kelly was a good cop," Sam told them. "Head of his class, even-keeled. He had a bright future ahead of him."

"What about at home?" Dean asked.

"He and his wife had a few fights, like everybody, but it was mostly smooth sailing," Sam said. "They were even talking about having kids."

"Awe, that's so sad," Shia said out loud.

"All right, so either Kelly had some deep seated crazy waiting to bust out, or something else did it to him," Dean said.

"Right," Sam said.

"What did Gunderson tell you about the asylum?" Shia asked.

"A lot," Sam said with a smile.

Going to the source of the problem, Sam, Dean and Shia jumped the fence into the asylum next morning.

"So apparently, the cops chased the kids here, into the south wing," Sam said as they walked around the building.

"South wing, huh? Wait a second," Dean said, flicking through the pages of his fathers journal. "South wing, south wing. 1972. 'Three kids broke into the south wing. Only one survived'. The way he tells it, one of his friends went nuts and started lighting up the place."

"So whatever is going on, south wing seems like the heart of it," Shia said.

"Yeah, but if kids are spelunking the asylum, why aren't there a ton more deaths?" Dean said. As if answering that, Sam's eye fell on the broken chain across the doors.

"Looks like the doors are usually chained," Sam said. "Could've been chained up for years."

"Yeah, to keep people out," Dean said.

"Or to keep something in," Shia added as Sam cautiously walked to the doors, slowly pushing them open. He exchanged a look with Dean and Shia before the three walked together through the corridors, Dean with his EMF meter out.

"Let me know if you see any dead people, Haley Joel," Dean said to Sam.

"Dude, enough," Sam said, making Dean and Shia laugh slightly.

"I'm serious," Dean went on. "You gotta be careful, all right. Ghosts are attracted to that whole ESP thing you got going."

"I told you, it's not ESP," Sam argued. "I just have strange vibes sometimes. Weird dreams."

"Yeah, whatever," Dean said. "Don't ask, don't tell."

"You getting any reading on the thing or not?" Sam said, keeping the conversation on the topic at hand.

"Nope," Dean said. "Of course that doesn't mean nobody's home."

"Spirits can appear during certain hours of the day," Sam said.

"Yeah, the freaks come out at night," Shia translated into her kinda language.

"Yeah," Sam agreed.

"Hey Sam, who do you thinks the hotter psychic?" Shia started with a smile. "Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Loved Hewitt, or you?"

With a playful look her way, Sam shoved Shia lightly as her and Dean laughed. Carrying on their personal tour of the building, the trio walked into an old operating room, Dean whistling lowly as he looked round at all the equipment. He flicked the switches on the EMF meter one last time before giving up and putting it away as he still got nothing.

"Man. Electroshock, labotomies. They did some twisted stuff to these people," Dean said before putting on a Jack Nicholson type accent. "Kind of like my man Jack in Cuckoo's Nest."

And all his attempted joke earned him were stares from his brother and girlfriend.

"So, what do you think?" Dean said, giving up the joking. "Ghosts are possessing people?"

"Maybe," Sam said.

"Or maybe it's more like, uh… like Amityville or the Smurl haunting," Shia suggested.

"Spirits driving them insane," Dean said. "Kind of like my man Jack in The Shining."

"Give it up, sweetie," Shia said, giving him a response this time as they carried on looking round the room.

"Dean?" Sam said, making Dean turn to him. "When are we gonna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Dean asked.

"About the fact that dad's not here," Sam said.

"Oh, let's see. Never," Dean said.

"I'm being serious, man," Sam said.

"So am I, Sam," Dean said. Behind them, Shia just shook her head. She could see the inevitably battle of the brothers coming up, which neither would win, and she didn't feel like getting involved. She just carried on searching round the room, continuing with the real reason why they were there.

"Look, he sent us here," Dean continued. "He obviously wants us here. We'll just have to pick up the search later."

"It doesn't matter what he wants," Sam said.

"See, that attitude right there? That is why I always got the extra cookie."

"Dad could be in trouble. We should be looking for him. We deserve some answers, Dean. I mean, this is our family we're talking about."

"I understand that, Sam. But he's given us an order."

"So what, we gotta always follow dad's orders?"

"Of course we do."

"Are you two girls done?" Shia said finally, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "Can we get back to the case now?"

Both looking over at rational girl, all Sam and Dean had to see was the look in her eyes and the way she was standing to know she was annoyed enough to cause both of them pain if they didn't listen to her right now. The three now looking round the room, Shia picked up a metal plague from one of the tables.

" 'Sanford Ellicott'," she read off of it. "You know what we gotta do. We gotta find out more about the south wing. See if something happened here."

Shia turned to walk out, smacking the plague across Dean's arm and shoving it into Sam's chest as she walked past them. Looking down at the sign, the boys read 'Chief of Staff Sanford Ellicott. M.D.' Glancing at each other, Sam threw the plague down as he and Dean followed Shia out.

Looking up the name Ellicott, the three had found his living relative, psychiatrist Dr James Ellicott. Taking this one, Sam was sat in the waiting room flipping through a magazine when the doctor came out of his office.

"Sam Winchester?" he called into the waiting room, making Sam look up.

"That's me," Sam said.

"Come on in," James said, walking into his office with Sam following behind. The two sat opposite each other, James at his desk and Sam on the couch.

"Thanks again for seeing me last minute," Sam said, looking round the room at all the certificates on the walls, and pictures on the desk. "Dr. Ellicott? Ellicott, that name. Wasn't there a… a Dr. Sanford Ellicott? Yeah, he was a… he was a chief psychiatrist somewhere."

"My father was chief of staff at the old Roosevelt Asylum," James said "How did you know?"

"Uh, well, I'm sort of a local history buff," Sam adlibbed. "Hey, wasn't there a… wasn't there an incident or something? In the, uh... in the…. In the hospital, I guess. In the south wing, right?"

"We're on your dollar, Sam. We're here to talk about you," James said.

"Oh, ok. Yeah, yeah, sure," Sam said.

"So," James began.

"So," Sam repeated, not sure what to say.

"How's things?" James asked.

"Uh, things are good, doctor?" Sam said.

"Good. What you been doing?" James asked.

"Uh, same old. Just been on a road trip with my brother and a friend," Sam said, the tone in his voice quite different between the words 'brother' and 'friend'.

"Was that fun?"

"Loads. Um, you know, we met a lot of… interesting people."

"Mm-hm."

"Did a lot of, uh…. A lot of interesting things," Sam said, wanting to get off this subject. "Uh…. You know, what was it exactly that happened in the south wing? I forget…."

"Look, if you're a local history buff, then you know all about the Roosevelt riot," James said.

"The riot? Well, no, I know. I'm just curious," Sam said.

"Sam, let's cut the bull, shall we?" James said. "You're avoiding the subject."

"What subject?" Sam asked.

"You," James said simply. "Now, I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you all about the Roosevelt riot if you tell me something honest about yourself. Like… this brother you're road tripping with. How do you feel about him?"

This question, for Sam, was a stumper. One he wasn't sure he wanted to answer.

Outside the doctor's office, Dean and Shia were waiting somewhat impatiently for Sam to come back out. Dean grabbing Shia by the waist pulling her towards him, Sam walked passed them as he came out, Dean and Shia following him to the car.

"Dude. You were in there forever," Dean said. "What the hell were you talking about?"

"Just the hospital, you know," Sam said.

"And?" Shia said.

"And the south wing?" Sam said. "It's where they housed the real hard cases. The psychotics, the criminally insane."

"Sounds cosy," Dean said.

"Yeah. And one night in '64, they rioted. Attacked staff, attacked each other."

"So what, the patients took over the asylum?"

"Apparently."

"Any deaths?"

"Some patients, some staff. I guess it was pretty gory. Some of the bodies were never even recovered including our chief of staff, Ellicott."

"What do you mean, never recovered?"

"Cops scoured every inch of the place, but I guess the patients must've stuffed the bodies somewhere hidden."

"That's grim," Shia said with a grimace.

"Yeah," Sam said. "So they transferred all the surviving patients and shut down the hospital for good."

"All right, so to sum it up," Shia said. "We've got a bunch of violent deaths and a bunch of unrecovered bodies."

"Which could mean a bunch of angry spirits," Sam added.

"Good times," Dean said as the group got into the car. "Let's check out the hospital tonight."

Back at the main doors to the building, Sam, Dean and Shia cautiously pushed through, knowing they were more than likely gonna find a lot more by night than day. Each had their equipment on them as they walked in, Sam with a flashlight, Dean with an EMF meter and Shia holding a video camera on night vision.

"Getting readings?" Sam asked as the EMF meter beeped.

"Yeah, big time," Dean said.

"Full of spirits, this place is orbing like crazy," Shia said, motioning to the camera lens where there were white balls floating around.

"Probably multiple spirits out and about," Dean said.

"If these unrecovered bodies are casing the haunting…." Sam began.

"We gotta find them and burn them," Dean finished. "Just be careful though. The only thing that makes me more nervous than a pissed off spirit is the pissed off spirit of a psycho killer."

As they walked down the corridor, they didn't notice the figure pass quickly behind them, and didn't see a thing as they turned. And seeing nothing, they carried on walking, also not noticing the spirit in the side corridor as they passed. The spirit of an old patient, his head shaking violently as he sat strapped in a straight jacket.

The three moved off in opposite directions, Dean down one corridor with his EMF meter while Shia took the night screen camcorder into another room with Sam and his flashlight. Searching round all the different nooks and crannies of the room, Shia followed a sound with her camcorder, which picked up the images of a woman, a large hole through the side of her head. Sam and Shia gasped in shock, backing up quickly as the woman slowly approached them.

"Dean. Dean! Shotgun!" Shia called out and Dean came racing in, shotgun aimed at the woman.

"Get down!" Dean yelled, firing as Sam and Shia ducked, the rock salt repelling the spirit as she disappeared.

"What the hell? That was weird," Shia said as her and Sam got to their feet.

"Yeah, you're telling me," Dean said, hr pulled Shia towards him to get a look at her. "You okay, baby? She didn't hurt you, right?" Shia shook her head.

"Baby, I'm fine. She didn't really attack us. It was weird," Shia said, Dean nodded his head and turned to walk away with Shia and Sam following.

"Yeah, I know," Dean said almost skeptically.

"No, Dean, I mean, it was weird that she didn't attack us," Sam said.

"Looked pretty agro from where I was standing," Dean said.

"She didn't hurt us," Sam said. "She didn't even try. So if she didn't want to hurt us then what did she want?"

Walking past one of the rooms, a low noise caught their ears. Turning his shotgun to the room, Dean walked in cautiously with Sam and Shia to where there was an upturned bed against the corner wall. Shia tipping it aside, the three came face to face with a terrified Kat, curled up in the corner.

"It's alright, sweetie. We're not going to hurt you. It's ok," Shia said as Dean lowered the shotgun and Kat stood up. "What's your name?"

"Katherine," Kat said. "Kat."

"Ok," Dean said. "I'm Dean. This is Sam and my girlfriend Shia."

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Um, my boyfriend Gavin…." Kat started.

"Is he here?" Dean interrupted her.

"Somewhere," Kat said, Sam, Dean and Shia exchanging a worried glance. "He thought it would be fun and try and see some ghosts. I thought it was all just, you know, pretend. I've seen things. I heard Gavin scream and…."

"All right," Dean said, taking her hand and leading her to the door. "Kat, come on. Sam's gonna get you out of here and then we're gonna find your boyfriend."

"No, no," Kat said, pulling away from him. "I'm not gonna leave without Gavin. I'm coming with you."

"It's no joke around her okay, it's dangerous," Dean said.

"That's why I've gotta find him," Kat said adamantly.

"Alright," Dean said, giving in. "I guess we're gonna split up, then. Let's go."

Looking for Gavin, the group separated, Sam and Shia searching in one direction while Dean was with Kat.

"Gavin!" Sam called into the quiet of the building.

"Gavin?" Shia repeated, aiming the flashlight round the corridors. Turning, she came face to face with Sam, who was staring at her.

"What?" Shia asked cautiously.

"Nothing," Sam said with a smile. "It's just we barely get time to ourselves. I just miss having my best friend to myself."

"You make it sound like we're having a dirty affair. I'm sorry we don't have much time together. Okay?" Shia said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, well, I miss you."

For a second, Shia just continued to stare at Sam, wondering why, as he said, he was bringing this up now of all times. After the second, she smiled slightly, somewhat seeing his point and linking her arm through his.

"You're right," she said. "Well, as of right now we're spending time together."

"Yeah. What fun we're having!" Sam said, making Shia laugh a little.

"Okay," Shia said. "If we get out here, remind me to get rid of Dean for a while. We can have some bff time then."

"Alright. Okay," Sam said with a smile, the two going back to the matter at hand.

Up on their side of the building, Sam and Shia walked into a room to see Gavin lay on the floor.

"Gavin. Hey, Gavin," Sam said, trying to shake him awake. It worked, Gavin waking with a jump and edging away from them.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," Sam said. "We're here to help."

"Who are you?" Gavin asked.

"My name is Sam. This is Shia," Sam said, helping Gavin to his feet. "We found your girlfriend."

"Kat?" Gavin said.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Is she all right?" Gavin asked.

"She's worried about you," Shia said. "Are you okay?"

"I was running," Gavin said. "I think I fell."

"You were running from what?" Sam asked.

"There was… there was this girl," Gavin stuttered out. "Her… her face…. It was all messed up."

"Okay, alright. Listen, listen," Shia said. "This girl, did she try to hurt you?"

"What? No. She…." Gavin said, his sentence faltering off.

"She what?" Shia said.

"She kissed me," Gavin said, half whispering.

"Well, I guess you're somewhat cute. Did she try to hurt you physically?" Shia said.

"Lady, she kissed me," Gavin said. "I'm scarred for life."

"Well, trust me, it could've been worse, she could've groped you or something," Shia said, her and Sam laughing slightly. "Now, do you remember anything else?"

"She…. Actually, she tried to whisper something in my ear," Gavin said.

"What?" Shia asked.

"I don't know. I ran like hell," Gavin admitted.

Back down the opposite side of the building, Dean and Kat were still on their search for Gavin, Dean's flashlight doing just as his had and flickering out completely.

"You son of a bitch," he muttered, putting away the useless flashlight and pulling a lighter from his pocket. "It's all right. I got a lighter."

"Ow. You're hurting my arm," Kat said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Dean said. Turning round, he held the glow from the lighter near her arm, seeing a dead looking something with a hold on Kat's arm. With a scream, Kat was forcibly pulled into a side room, the door locking behind her.

"Kat!" Dean yelled into the room, pulling on the door while Kat pounded on it. "Kat, hang on!"

With a crowbar, Dean tried to pry the door open when Kat stopped pounding, sensing something else in the room with her. She turned, but there was nothing there. Nothing until she turned again and the spirit of a shaggy looking man was in front of her. She screamed, backing away, but the spirit was now behind her. Inside the small room, she tried her best to get away from him, screaming still.

Outside the room, Dean was still trying to pry the door open when Sam, Shia and Gavin came running up to him.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"She's inside with one of them," Dean said.

"Help me!" Kat yelled out, pressed against the wall and trying not to look at the spirit.

"Kat!" Gavin screamed through the door.

"Get me out of here!" Kat yelled again.

"Kat, honey," Shia yelled through the door to her. "It's not gonna hurt you! Listen to me! You have to face it. You have to calm down."

"She's gotta what?" Dean said.

"I have to what?" Kat repeated.

"The spirits. They're not trying to hurt us," Shia said. "They're trying to communicate. You gotta listen to it. You gotta face it."

"You face it!" Kat yelled back to her.

"No. It's the only way you're gonna get out of there," Shia told her.

"No!" Kat screamed.

"Look at it, that's all. Come on, you can do it," Shia yelled to her.

For a moment, Sam, Dean, Shia and Gavin waited outside while there was silence inside. Waited with baited breath while inside the room, Kat slowly turned to face the spirit as he leaned in to whisper to her.

"Kat?" Gavin called into the room after too much silence.

"Babe, I hope you're right about this," Dean said to Shia.

"Yeah, me too," Shia said as the door clicked open, Kat stood dazed in the doorway.

"Kat," Gavin said, grabbing her as she came out of the room and Sam, Dean and Shia took her place, looking round.

"One thirty-seven," Kat said.

"Sorry?" Dean said.

"It whispered in my ear," Kat told them. "137."

"Room number," Sam, Dean and Shia said together, exchanging a look as they bent down by their bag.

"All right, so if these spirits aren't trying to hurt anyone…." Sam said.

"Then what are they trying to do?" Dean added.

"Maybe that's what they've been trying to tell us," Shia said.

"I guess we'll find out. All right," Dean said, the three getting to their feet. "So…. Now, you guys ready to leave this place?"

"That's an understatement," Kat said.

"Ok," Dean said, turning to Sam. "You get them out of here. We're gonna go find room 137."

With a flashlight each and a shotgun, Dean and Shia made their way down the corridor while Sam took Kat and Gavin to safety.

"So how do you guys know about all this ghost stuff?" Kat asked now they were away from Dean and Shia.

"It's kind of our job," Sam said.

"Why would anyone want a job like that?" Kat said.

"I had a crappy guidance counsellor," Sam said with a small laugh.

"And Dean? He's your boss?" Kat said.

"No," Sam said, turning to her. But while he said it, he did wonder just how many people who came in to their lives thought that. Dean had a way of taking charge of the situation, whatever the situation, and whoever the situation was with. And the taken charge deal went high beyond just the big brother deal. And Kat's question made him wonder whether he was glad other people could see this, or even more annoyed at Dean for making it too obvious.

Or then there was the option of being annoyed at himself for letting it happen.

While they were heading out, Dean and Shia were walking deeper into the building, looking at door after door for room 137.

"Dean," Shia called as her flashlight beam shone on door number 137.

"Bingo," Dean said, walking up behind her. Pushing the door, Dean tipped aside the chair blocking it and walked in, Shia behind him. On the floor at their feet, the first thing they saw was a plague reading 'Dr. Sanford Ellicott', clearly meant for the door. Stepping over that and the rest of the debris in the room, Dean and Shia took to searching through the old file cabinet.

In room 137, Dean and Shia were still searching around, looking through the debris, the file cabinet and the trash can. Kneeling beside the desk, Dean noticed a removable panel in the wall. Inside was a brown leather case, which he held up to Shia.

"This is why I get paid the big bucks," Dean said. Shia took the case off him, taking a journal from inside and flipping through the pages.

"Patients journal," Shia read aloud. Dean pulled out a chair from behind the desk, about to sit on it, when he was swatted away by Shia, who took the seat. Glaring at her, all it took was one innocent kiss for him to give in, kneeling beside her and holding the flashlight over the journal.

"Why all work and no play makes Dr. Ellicott a very dull boy," Shia said as they flipped through the pages of the journal.

At the main exit, Kat and Gavin were still standing guard. Kat was sat on the floor, the shotgun resting against her shoulder, while Gavin paced in front of her.

"Hey, Gavin?" Kat said.

"Yeah?" Gavin said, kneeling beside her.

"If we make it out of here alive, we are so breaking up," Kat said, the sound of a clatter and approaching footsteps reaching their ears before Gavin could say anything else. Turning towards the sound, they saw a shadow walking across the wall, heading their way.

"Did you hear that?" Kat said.

"Something's coming," Gavin said, the pair standing up. The shadow turned into Dean and Shia walking round the corner, although Kat didn't se this in time and shot anyway. Dean quickly ducked, pulling Shia with him.

"Damn it, damn it!" Dean grated out.

"Don't shoot, it's us!" Shia called round the corner.

"Sorry, sorry," Kat called to them.

"Son of a…." Shia droned out, her and Dean getting up and coming fully round the corner. On the wall where their heads should have been was now a large hole made by the rock salt round. It seems spirits weren't the only things rock salt could harm.

"What are you still doing here?" Dean asked. "Where's Sam?"

"He went to the basement," Gavin said, motioning to Shia. "You called him."

"What the hell? I didn't call him," Shia said.

"His cell phone rang," Kat said. "He said it was you."

"Basement, huh?" Shia said, to which Gavin and Kat nodded. Sharing a worried glance with Shia, Dean knelt and took another gun from the bag at his feet.

"All right. Watch yourselves," Dean said as he and Shia began walking away. "And watch out for us."

Down in the basement, Dean and Shia were now wondering round, looking for Sam.

"Sammy!" Shia called into the quiet emptiness.

"Sam, you down here?" Dean called. "Sam!"

"Sam!" Shia called again, louder, her and Dean turning to find Sam now stood inches away from them, making the pair jump back slightly.

"Damn it, honey, answer us when we're calling you," Shia yelled at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," Sam said.

"You know that wasn't me who called your cell, right?" Shia said.

"Yeah, I know," Sam said. "I think something lured me down here."

"I think I know who," Dean said. "Dr. Ellicott. That's what the other spirits have been trying to tell us. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No," Sam lied easily. "How do you know it was him?"

"Because we found his log book," Shia said. "Apparently, he was experimenting on his patients. Some awful stuff. Makes lobotomies look like a couple of aspirin."

"But it was the patients who rioted," Sam said.

"Yeah, they were rioting against Dr. Ellicott," Dean said. "Dr. Feelgood was working on some sort of, like, extreme rage therapy. He thought that if he could get his patients to vent their anger, then they'd be cured of it. Instead, it only made them worse and worse, and angrier and angrier. So I'm thinking, what if his spirit is doing the same thing? To the cop. To the kids in the 70's. Making them so angry they become homicidal."

"Come on," Shia said, her and Dean walking past Sam. "We gotta find his bones and torch them."

"How?" Sam asked. "The police never found his body."

"The log book said he had some sort of hidden procedure room down here somewhere where he'd work on his patients," Shia said. "So…. I mean, if I was a patient, I'd drag his ass down here, do a little work on it myself."

"I don't know," Sam said, not moving after them. "It sounds kind of…."

"Crazy?" Shia finished for him.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Yeah, exactly," Dean said, walking through a door with the word 'bio-hazard' across, Shia following while he motioned for Sam to do the same. Sam, for a moment, just stared at them, the look in his eyes far from that of Sam.

Finally following them into the room, Sam found the pair searching round for the hidden room.

"I told you," Sam said. "I looked everywhere. I didn't find a hidden room."

"Well, that's why they call it hidden," Shia said as Dean's ears pricked up to another sound in the room. The sound of whistling air coming from behind one of the walls.

"You hear that?" Dean said.

"What?" Sam asked as Dean and Shia knelt beside one of the walls, Dean holding his hand against a crack along the bottom only to find just where the air was coming from.

"There's a door here," Dean said.

"Dean," Sam said, pointing the shotgun in his hand to the pair on their knees. Dean and Shia looked up to the barrel of the shotgun just as a trickle of blood ran from Sam's nose.

"Step back from the door," Sam said, wiping the blood away.

"Sam, put the gun down," Dean said, him and Shia getting to their feet.

"Is that an order?" Sam said.

"No, it's more of a friendly request," Shia said, taking a step towards Sam only to back up as he held the gun higher.

"Because I'm getting pretty tired of taking your orders," Sam said.

"I knew it," Dean said. "Ellicott did something to you, didn't he?"

"For once in your life, just shut your mouth," Sam said.

"I can't help but agree with him, Dean," Shia muttered to her boyfriend.

"Why are you agreeing with me?" Sam said, turning to her for the time. Or turning on her. "You usually jump through hoops to defend your pathetic boyfriend."

"Let's not go there, I'm not really in the mood right now," Shia said.

"What are you gonna do, Sam?" Dean said. "Guns filled with rock salt. Not gonna kill me."

In answer, Sam shot the gun, the non-fatal rock salt hitting Dean in the stomach and sending him flying through the closed door behind them, Shia rushing after him as he lay on his back.

"No. But it'll hurt like hell," Sam said, watching Shia as she tried to slap Dean awake.

"Dean! Dean!" she screamed out, starting to shake him as he woke, groaning in pain. Shia turned, kneeling by his side as Sam stood over the two of them.

"Sam! We gotta burn Ellicott's bones and all this'll be over," Dean groaned out. "You'll be back to normal."

"I am normal," Sam said. "I'm just telling the truth for the first time. I mean, why are we even here? Because you're following dad's orders like a goods little soldier? Because you always do what he says without question? Are you that desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking, Sam," Dean tried.

"That's the difference between you and me," Sam continued. "I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic, like you."

"So, what are you gonna do, huh?" Dean said. "You gonna kill me?"

"You know what? I am sick of doing what you tell me to do," Sam said. "We're no closer to finding dad today then we were six months ago."

"Well, then here. Let me make it easier for you," Dean said, taking his gun from his jeans and holding it out to Sam. "Come on. Take it."

"Dean, what are you doing?" Shia said.

"Real bullets are gonna work a hell of a lot better than rock salt," Dean said to Sam.

"That's why you don't give your psychotic brother the gun," Shia said through gritted teeth, watching as thankfully, Sam hesitating. Maybe there was still a bit of Sam there.

"Take it!" Dean said, Sam doing just that and snatching the gun from Dean's hand, dropping Shia's hopes. He threw the useless shotgun aside, aiming the gun at Dean.

"You hate me that much?" Dean said. "You think you could kill your own brother? Then go ahead."

Sam, truly going for the hurt instead of the kill, turned the gun on Shia now, Shia backing away a little so she was now lay beside Dean.

"Sam, come on," she said almost desperately.

"So you're gonna shoot her now?" Dean said, his eyes still held on his brother. "Hurt the both of us by killing the one thing we both care about. Go ahead, if you can."

"Dean, will you shut the hell up? He doesn't have a gun pointed at you," Shia said.

"Pull the trigger," Dean said, ignoring Shia beside him. But again, Sam hesitated. "Do it!"

As Dean's yell echoed, Sam pulled the trigger on the gun, Shia flinching slightly. The next sound that echoed around the room was the hammer clicking against the barrel of the gun.

Sam, confused, pulled the trigger again. But again all that happened was the barrel clicking. Grabbing Sam by the collar, Dean pulled him down and punched him, sending him backwards.

Getting to her feet, Shia turned and helped Dean up, the pair walking over to Sam.

"Man, I'm not gonna give you a loaded pistol," Dean said.

"I was scared out of my wits! You should have let me in on the damn plan! If I would have died, bobby would've had your ass," Shia said, turning to Sam and knocking him out with a perfectly placed and waited kick.

"Sorry, Sammy," Shia said. Straightening his limbs again, Dean groaned in pain. "You okay?" Shia asked.

"Fine. You?" Dean replied.

"Great," Shia said. "Considering my best friend just tried to kill me."

"Well, let's find these bones, burn them, and get Sammy back," Dean said, him and Shia searching the room.

Shia held the shotgun while Dean held the flash, the pair knocking aside curtains and tables. Behind the two, the spirit of Sanford Ellicott swept behind them, Shia turning to slow to see him, but not to see the tuft of hair poking out of the side of a small cupboard. Grabbing Dean's attention, they moved to the cupboard, Dean opening it to find Ellicott's rotted body, the smell making the two cough and gag.

"Oh, that's flipping disgusting," Shia said as Dean went to work.

With the flashlight and his bag of tricks down beside him, Dean poured salt of the body, Shia standing back while he kept his hand covering the smell. Neither of them noticed the flashlight slowly flickering out behind them.

"Yeah, soak it up," Dean said as he poured lighter fluid over the body.

As the couple stood up, ready to finish the job, one of the operating table flew from the other side of the room, knocking them both in opposite directions. Her head hitting hard against the wall, Shia sat slightly dazed while Ellicott chose Dean to attacking, leaning over his body and taking hold of his head, electricity fizzing from his fingers like with Sam.

"Don't be afraid," Ellicott's spirit told Dean. "I'm going to help you. I'm going to make you all better."

Her head still pounding, Shia shook herself out of her daze and crawled forward, taking the lighter from Dean's bag and throwing the lit flame at Ellicott's rotted body. His body bursting into flames, Ellicott's spirit let go of Dean, his own body burning before his eyes as Shia scrambled towards Dean, the two backing.

Ellicott watched in horror and disbelief as his hands began to rot away, turning to ash in front of him. His arm round Shia at his side, Dean covered their bodies as Ellicott's rotting form dropped in front of them, shattering into ashes. Sitting up slightly and trying to catch their breathe, Dean and Shia turned as Sam came to, Ellicott's control over now his spirit was gone.

"You're not gonna try and kill me, are you?" Shia said to Sam.

"No," Sam said, massaging his aching jaw.

"Good," Dean said. "Because that would be awkward."

With Ellicott's spirit exorcised from the asylum, the five that were inside could now leave. Stood by their car, Sam, Dean and Shia said their goodbyes to the young teenage couple.

"Thanks, guys," Kat said sincerely.

"Yeah, thanks," Gavin added.

"No more haunted asylums, Okay?" Shia said. "And Gavin, take her out to see a movie or something. You know, like a normal boyfriend." With a small smile, Gavin and Kat walked back while Sam, Dean and Shia turned to leave in theirs.

"Hey, Dean," Sam said, stopping him before he got inside the car. "I'm sorry, man. You too, Shia. I said and did some awful things back there."

"You remember all that?" Shia said, smiling slightly at her friend.

"Yeah," Sam said. And at this, Shia portion of the conversation was over. She looked between the two brothers, seeing the different expressions on their faces, and climbed into the back of the car. What had happened in the asylum were issues that the brothers needed to sort out. She couldn't be the extra factor this time.

"It's like I couldn't control it," Sam said to Dean. "But I didn't mean it, any of it."

"You didn't, huh?" Dean said, something in the back of his mind telling him that wasn't exactly the truth.

"No, of course not," Sam said. All Dean did was nod slightly, an odd knowing look in his eyes. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"No," Dean said. "I'm not really in the sharing-and-caring kind of mood. I just wanna get some sleep."

Throwing his bag into the back beside Shia, Dean slid into the front seat of the car, pushing everything he truly wanted to say to the back of his mind for some other time far, far away. Just like he always did.

They stopped at a motel hours later, Shia and Dean waited outside while Sam got them a room.

"I thought you were going to let me die back there," Shia said leaning against Dean wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you, baby. You're special to me," Dean said giving her a light kiss on the lips.

"I was going to use my powers against Sam for a second, I didn't want to but if that gun was loaded...I could have hurt Sam. I feel like I'm just like the things we hunt," Shia told her boyfriend, he looked at her with a sad expression. How could she say that about herself?

"Baby, you listen to me. You're a very good person, one of the best people I know. You're not a monster, and never will be. Okay?" Dean said, Shia nodded and proceeded to give her boyfriend a long, passionate kiss.

Dean got his sleep as the trio relaxed in the motel room, Dean and Shia lay curled comfortable together as always. Not even the trilling of his cell phone could wake Dean or Shia. But it did wake Sam.

"Dean," he said sleepily, trying to wake his brother. Dean or Shia not even stirring slightly, Sam picked up the phone himself.

"Hello?" Sam said into the receiver. The voice that spoke on the other end woke Sam completely, his body reacting on hit's own as he sat upright.

"Dad?"


	11. Scarecrow

One year on from that day where a couple has gone missing, now in the present day, the demon fighting Winchester and Colten trio are asleep in their hotel room. On the table beside them, Dean's phone trilled into action, but Dean didn't wake to answer it. He simply stirred slightly, gripping tighter to Shia in his arms. Sam, however, was woken by the sound.

"Dean," he called to his brother, but still got no response. Reaching out, Sam answered the phone himself.

"Hello?" he said sleepily in the receiver.

In a payphone in California, John Winchester responded to his younger son's voice.

"Sam, is that you?" his dad answered, sleep now forgotten from Sam's mind as he sat bolt upright in his bed.

"Dad?" he said in shock. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," John replied.

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Sam said softly. "We didn't know where you were, if you were okay."

"Sammy, I'm all right," John said. "What about you, Dean and Shia?"

"We're fine," Sam said, the pair behind him now beginning to wake. "Dad, where are you?"

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that."

"What? Why not?"

"Is that Dad?" Dean asked, him and Shia now sat up in their beds.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand," John said on the other end. "You're just gonna have to trust me on this."

"You're after it, aren't you?" Sam questioned. "The thing that killed Mom."

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

"A demon? You know for sure?"

"A demon?" Dean questioned at the word. "What's he saying?"

"I do," John said to Sam, who was still ignoring his brother's questions. "Listen, Sammy, I, uh… I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that."

"You know where it is?" Sam said.

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help."

"You can't. You can't be any part of it."

"Why not?"

"Give me the phone," Dean said, holding out his hand.

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling," John said. "You, your brother and Shia, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names."

"Names?" Sam questioned. "What names, Dad… talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe."

"No. Alright? No way."

"Give me the phone," Dean demanded again.

"I have given you an order," John said to his youngest. "Now, you stop following me, and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names."

Giving up on asking, Dean snatched the phone from Sam, who simply let him.

"Dad, it's me," Dean said into the phone. "Where are you…? Yes, sir.… Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?"

From behind him, Dean failed to notice Shia sigh deeply and bow his head, already seeing exactly what she saw every time Dean got around his father. Him falling into line.

After the conversation with their father, the brother's and Shia were now packed into the Impala, driving to where John had led them to.

"Alright," Sam said. "So, the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?"

"Three different couples," Dean said. "All went missing."

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?"

"That's right. You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination, and none of them were ever heard from again."

"Well, it's a big country, Dean. They could've disappeared anywhere."

"Yeah, could've. But each one's route took 'em to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another."

"This is the second week of April," Shia said from the back seat playing with her hair.

"Yep," Dean told her.

"So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam said.

"Yahtzee," Dean said, looking down at the information they had gotten from their father. "Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master."

Clearly pissed to the max, Sam abruptly turned the car off to the side of the road and shut the engine off, making both Dean and Shia stare at him.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked.

"We're not going to Indiana," Sam stated.

"We're not?"

"No. We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code."

"Sam…." Dean began.

"Dean," Sam cut him off. "If this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help."

"Dad doesn't want our help."

"I don't care."

"He's given us an order."

"I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says."

"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it's important."

"Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge."

"Alright, look, I know how you feel."

"Do you?" Sam said coldly, shocking his brother at the tone in his voice. "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't, so if he says to stay away, we stay away."

"I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it's like you don't even question him."

"Yeah, it's called being a good son!" Dean yelled, his anger filling up. Hitting the last straw, Sam aggressively jumped out of the car, Dean following as he went to the trunk. Shia looking out the window of her seat sighed deeply and got out of the car.

"You're a selfish bastard, you know that?" Dean continued. "You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks."

"That's what you really think?" Sam asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California," Sam said, hefting his backpack over his shoulder and turning to walk away.

"Come on, you're not serious," Dean called after him.

"I am serious," Sam yelled back.

"Boys, seriously," Shia piped up, trying to be the mediator as always, but knowing it was probably hopeless in this case. "This is stupid, we should just calm down."

"It's the middle of the night!" Dean yelled at his brother. "Hey, I'm taking off, I will leave your ass, you hear me?"

"Dean!" Shia grated out, turning to him as Sam stopped and did the same.

"That's what I want you to do," Sam said.

"Sam, he didn't mean we he just said!" Shia called out, this time turning to him, watching as the two brothers stared each other down, waiting to see what the other would do. This was a game they played often. One usually without a winner.

"Goodbye, Sam," Dean said, closing the trunk and heading back to the car.

"No! What the hell?," Shia screamed to the both of them. "Sam, you can't do this."

"I've got to Shia," Sam told her. "I'm sorry."

"But…. Honey, we're meant to stick together," Shia said, getting desperate.

"Not this time," Sam said.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do? The both of you are being stupid dicks, and we're breaking up our little group. We can't do that."

"Shia, I have to find my dad."

"But I can't just choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? It's not fair to me."

"And I'm not asking you to."

Shia stood where she was, no idea what she should do next. She looked between Sam and Dean, both of them stood either side of her but a bit apart. And neither was pleading with her, telling her she had to come with him. They were just waiting, letting her make her own decision. The problem was, the choice was and always had been already made. Sam is her best friend and she loved him so much….

But she loved Dean more.

With tears in her eyes, Shia turned to Sam, softly mouthing the words 'I'm sorry', before she turned and headed back to the Impala, silently slipping into the passenger seat while Dean got in beside her and drove off, Sam watching after them before walking his own way.

The opposite way.

On the road, Dean would glance at his girlfriend hoping she would say something. Shia didn't know what to say, she just chose her boyfriend of six months over her best friend of ten years. Shia felt terrible but she had to be honest with herself, she loved Sam and Dean, but when it would come to choosing...who wouldn't choose their lover?

"Baby, I'm sorry. I was a dick, and I'm sorry. Will you talk to me now?" Dean said holding the steering wheel with one hand, the other hand was holding Shia's hand.

"What do you want me to say?" Shia asked.

"I just wanted to know that I didn't lose you or anything," Dean told her with a very charming smile.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Dean Winchester," Shia leaned into her boyfriend, cuddling to his side while he was driving. Dean kissed the top of her head, he loved this girl so much...although he's never told her those three words.

Pulling up in Burkesville for the case, Shia was on her side of the car now in deep thought, while Dean pulled out his cellphone thinking if he should call Sam or not, snapping his phone shut, Dean made up his mind and shut off the engine, getting out of the car. The engine stopping and the car door slamming shut finally knocked Shia out of her trance, stepping out of the car and following Dean to a small café. Scotty's Café, with Scotty said on the porch in front of it.

"Let me guess. Scotty," Dean said, gesturing up to the sign.

"Yep," Scotty said, glancing up at the sign above his head.

"Hi, my name's John Bonham and this is my girlfriend Cyndi Lauper," Dean began.

"Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin and some foreign pop singer? Scotty said interrupting Dean, shocking him a little.

"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan."

"What can I do for you, John?"

"I was wondering if, uh, you'd seen these people by chance," Dean said, handing two flyers to Scotty. They are missing person posters for Holly and Vince

"Nope," Scotty said, looking down at them. "Who are they?"

"Friends of ours. They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and I've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem…."

"Sorry," Scotty interrupted, handing the flyers back to Dean. "We don't get many strangers around here." Dean and Shia just nodded slightly.

"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Shia said with a bright smile of her own. Scotty just stared at her, not taking the bait.

"Never mind," Shia said with a small chuckle as her and Dean began to walk away. "See you around."

Dean and Shia stood in the general store showing their flyers to Harley and Stacey

"You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asked.

"Nope," Harley said as his wife shook her head. "Don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?"

"That's right," Dean said just as Emily came out from the back carrying a load of boxes.

"Did the guy have a tattoo?" Emily asked.

"Yes, he did," Dean said, looking down at the picture of Vince, where you could clearly see the tattoo on his arm, before handing it to Emily.

"You remember?" Emily said to her aunt and uncle. "They were just married."

"You're right," Harley said, suddenly remembering. "They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes."

"Do you remember anything else?" Shia asked.

"I told 'em how to get back to the Interstate. They left town," Harley said.

"Could you point us in that same direction?" Shia said.

"Sure," Harley said.

Going by Harley's directions, Dean and Shia were now driving down Orchard Road.

"Dean, babe, aren't you a little worried or something?" Shia asked Dean.

"About what?" he replied.

"Whatever this thing is, it seems to have a liking for couples. Now, if you and Sam were investigating this, there wouldn't be a problem. But, it's you and me. Perfect targets. Male and hot female."

"Shia, after everything you and me have faced, I think we can take on whatever this is. And I'm sure it's hot male and hot female."

"You better be right, because I don't like the idea of dying in Hicksville, Indiana."

"Burkesville," Dean corrected her.

"Whatever," Shia muttered, making Dean laugh slightly. Just as the car came past the orchard, a noise emitted from the back seat.

"What the hell?" Dean muttered, pulling over the car while Shia dug through the bag in the back. She came back with the EMF meter, beeping frantically. Seems they had found whatever they were looking for, and it was in the orchard.

Getting out of the car, the pair explored further, walking through the orchard.

"You know, I think Sam was right about a couple of things back there," Dean suddenly said.

"Things like what?" Shia said, not willing to start an argument by saying yeah, she agreed with Sam and what he said about Dean and his father.

"Like when he said I don't know what he's going through," Dean said, ducking his head slightly as if embarrassed by his sudden show of emotions. "I don't. I mean, his girlfriend was murdered in front of him. That's gotta hurt."

"Yeah, but you went through the same deal with Mary," Shia said.

"I can hardly remember that," Dean said. "Sam's pain is still there. I mean, I've just got you, and you're still here. Something I'm very thankful for by the way. I'd rather not lose you just yet."

"You won't," Shia said with a smiling, leaning up to kiss him. When she pulled back, she kept her hand laced through Dean's as the pair continued walking.

A little further in, they walked past the scarecrow who, in the light of day, was securely on his post.

"Now, I'm not scared of many things-," Shia started motioning to the scarecrow.

"Liar." Dean said interrupting Shia.

"What do you mean "Liar"? I'm not scared of many things,"

"Baby, you're scared of dolls, clowns, water, cemeteries..."

"At least I'm scared of planes,"

"Yeah, whatever." Dean said, Shia smiled at him. Well, reminding him of the time we were on a plane is one way to shut him up.

"Dude, you fugly," Dean muttered to the scarecrow. Noticing a pattern on his arm, Dean took a ladder from a nearby tree and held it against the post.

"What are you doing?" Shia asked.

"Just hold the ladder," Dean told her. With a roll of her eyes at his tone, Emma did as he requested and held the Shia of the ladder while Dean climbed up it. Moving aside the scarecrows robe, Dean looked closer at the design. It was a tattoo, and one he recognized.

Taking out the flyer from his pocket, Dean compared the tattoo on the scarecrows arm to Vince's. it was exactly the same.

"Nice tat," Dean said to the scarecrow before turning to Shia. "Recognize this?"

He moved aside slightly, holding the picture beside the scarecrows are for her to compare them. Shia sighed, exchanging a glance with Dean as both of them were coming to the same conclusion.

Up in the town, Emily was outside in the garage when Dean and Shia pulled up again.

"You're back," Emily said with a bright smile.

"Never left," Dean replied.

"Still looking for your friends?" she asked. Dean nodded, the nameplate around Emily's neck catching his eye. Well, at least a name would make things a little more formal and polite now.

"You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?" Dean said. The young girl happily obliged, grabbing a pump and filling Dean's car with gas.

"So, you grew up here?" Dean asked.

"I came here when I was thirteen," Emily told them. "I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."

"They're nice people," Shia said with a slightly sarcastic smile.

"Everybody's nice here," Emily said.

"So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Shia replied.

"Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it," Emily said with a small smile of her own. "I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed."

"Hey, you been out to the orchard?" Dean asked, changing the subject after a slight nod. "You seen that scarecrow?"

"Yeah, it creeps me out," Emily said, making Dean and Shia laugh slightly.

"Whose is it?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. It's just always been there," Emily said. Nodding behind Emily, Shia motioned to the red van parked in the garage.

"That your aunt and uncle's?" she asked Emily.

"Customer," Emily said. "Had some car troubles."

"It's not a couple, is it?" Shia asked. "A guy and a girl?"

"Mmhmm," Emily said with a nod, a look of concern now crossing over Dean and Shia's faces.

In Scotty's café in Burkitsville, the young couple whose van broke down were sat at a table, Scotty serving them each a plate of apple pie.

"We're famous for our apples. So, you gotta try this pie," Scotty told them.

"Oh, no," the woman said. "It… please."

"It's on the house," Scotty said as the bell on the door rang and Dean and Shia walked into the café.

"Oh, hey, Scotty," Dean said cheerily. "Can I get a coffee, black?"

"Make that two," Shia called after Scotty as he walked away.

"Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it," Dean yelled as he and Shia sat at a table beside the couple.

"How ya doin'?" Dean said to the couple, who waved and smiled their way. "Just passing through?"

"Road trip," the girl told them.

"Hm. Yeah, us too," Shia said. The couple gave a small nod as Scotty walked over to their table to refill their drinks.

"I'm sure these people want to eat in peace," Scotty said to Dean and Shia.

"Just a little friendly conversation," Dean said, Scotty again walking off with an agitated look. "Oh, and those coffees, too, man. Thanks."

"So, what brings you to town?" Shia asked the couple.

"We just stopped for gas," the girl said. "And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives."

"Is that right?" Dean said.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking," the guy said. "We had no idea. He was fixing it for us."

"Nice people," Shia said for the second time today.

"Yeah," the guy agreed.

"So, how long till you're up and running?" Shia asked.

"Sundown," the man answered.

"Really, to fix a brake line?" Shia asked, to which the guy nodded. "I mean, you know, my boyfriend knows a thing or two about cars. He could probably have you up and running in about an hour, and wouldn't charge you anything."

"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it," the girl said.

"Sure. We know," Dean said, pausing slightly and thinking just how to say the next line.

"You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night," Dean continued, making the couple exchange a look

"I'm sorry?" the girl said.

"I know it sounds strange, but, uh… you might be in danger," Dean said.

"Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?" the guy said.

"Yeah," Shia said, wondering what the hell they could say now to convince them while the couple just threw worried glances their way.

"You know," Dean began again. "My brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you'd just buy right into it."

The bell above the café door jingled again, signalling that someone was walking in. Someone Scotty was expecting as he came out from the back.

"Thanks for coming, Sheriff," Scotty said, Dean and Shia looking up nervously as Scotty muttered something to the Sheriff they couldn't hear.

"Great," Shia said softly as the Sheriff walked over to them.

"I'd like a word, please," the Sheriff told them.

"Come on," Dean groaned out. "We're having a bad day already."

"You don't wanna make it worse," the Sheriff said so only they could hear.

And the Sheriff's way to make all this better was for Dean and Shia to leave town with an armed escort, turning back into town once the 'Now Leaving Burkesville' sign flashed past the window.

Dean and Shia, as a couple, were far too alike. Anyone could see that. And neither had much of a liking for the law, or lived their lives by rules.

Which is why, once night rolled in, the pair were on the interstate, making their way back into Burkitsville.

Already in Burkesville, the young couple who Dean and Shia had unintentionally scared at the café were now wandering through the orchard, their car broken down on the side of the road.

"I can't believe it. We just got the car fixed," the girl mumbled.

"This way," the guy said to her, walking further into the orchard. What neither noticed was the scarecrow, off his post, running quickly behind them. The girl did, however, did sense, turning round with a gasp.

"Steve?" she said, gripping onto the boyfriend's arm when they heard another noise.

"Who's there?" Steve yelled into the clearing. Getting nothing in return, he turned, only to come face to face with the scarecrow, slithering out from behind the trees and walking towards them. Without a second's hesitation, the pair turned and ran into the opposite direction, almost at the clearing when something, or someone else came out in front of them. Dean and Shia.

"Get back to your car," Shia told them. The couple didn't move, but simple turned, watching as the scarecrow got closer to them.

"Go! Go!" Shia screamed at them again. This time they ran, leaving Dean and Shia to take care of the living, walking scarecrow.

Cocking his shotgun, Dean aimed at shot of rock salt at the scarecrow, hitting him dead in the chest. The scarecrow stumbled, but didn't fall, still advancing on them. Dean and Shia began running backwards now, Dean still shooting at the scarecrow. Two more shots and it still did nothing.

"I really don't think that's working Dean!" Shia screamed at him as they caught up with the couple. Dean couldn't help but agree.

"Go! Go!" he screamed at the couple, the four now running and finally making it out of the orchard, stood just outside of the gates. Turning, Dean's shotgun up just as a precaution, the saw the scarecrow had already vanished. It seemed they were safe outside of the orchard gates.

"What… what the hell was that?" Steve stammered out.

"Don't ask," Dean and Shia said in unison.

Later that same night, different area code, Sam was sat in the bus station, Meg asleep on the floor nearby. The phone call that had been edging towards happen was now in process, Sam on the phone to Shia who was sat beside Dean in the driving seat of the Impala.

"The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" Sam repeated after Shia had told him everything.

"Yeah," Shia said. "I'm telling ya. Burkesville, Indiana. Fun Town."

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Sam asked.

"No. We can cope without you, you know," Shia joked.

"So, something must be animating it. A spirit."

"No, it's more than a spirit. It's a God. A Pagan God, anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"The annual cycle of its killings? And the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like some kind of fertility right. And you should see the locals. The way they treated this couple. Fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey."

"The last meal. Given to sacrificial victims."

"Yeah, we're thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan God."

"So, a God possesses the scarecrow..." Sam began.

"And the scarecrow takes its sacrifice," Shia finished. "And for another year, the crops won't wilt, and disease won't spread."

"Do you know which god you're dealing with?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it."

"I know. We're actually on our way to a local community college. We've got an appointment with a professor. You know, since we don't have our trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research," Shia said, making Sam laugh slightly. Beside her, Shia noticed Dean holding out his hand, motioning for the phone.

"Hold up. Dean wants to speak," Shia said, passing the phone to Dean.

"Hey bro," Dean said into the receiver.

"Hey," Sam replied. "You know, if you guys are hinting you need my help, just ask."

"We're not hinting anything. Actually, uh… I want you to know…. I mean, don't think…." Dean stuttered out, making Shia smile slightly, although she hid it. She knew Dean well enough to know what he was trying to say, and just how hard it was for him. Luckily, she knew Sam as well, and knew he would get the message from his brother loud and clear.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, too," Sam said, proving Shia right and understanding completely what his brother was trying to tell him.

"Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life."

"Are you serious?"

"You've always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I…. Anyway… I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Say you'll take care of yourself."

"I will."

"Call me when you find Dad," Dean said.

"OK. Bye, Dean," Sam said. Just like she had, Dean placed the phone back into Shia's outstretched hand.

"Sam?" Shia said to him.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Keep in touch. Phone whenever you can. I mean it," Shia said, making Sam laugh again. The tone in her voice, the slight joke to her words, made him realize how much he was gonna and already was missing her. Both of them.

"Of course," Sam replied. "Bye, hun."

"Bye Sammy," she said as she hung up, going back to her vigil of staring blankly out of the window, missing her surrogate little brother more now she knew he was gone for good.

At the Burkesville community college, Dean and Shia were with the professor for their appointment.

"It's not every day I get a research question on Pagan ideology," the professor told them.

"Yeah, well, call it a hobby," Dean said.

"But you said you were interested in local lore?" the professor asked.

"Mmhmm," Dean replied.

"I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its Pagan worship."

"Well, what if it was imported? You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?"

"Well, yeah."

"Like that town near here, Burkitsville. Where are their ancestors from?"

"Uh, northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia."

"What could you tell us about those Pagan Gods?" Shia finally spoke up.

"Well, there are hundreds of Norse Gods and Goddesses," the professor told her.

"We're actually looking for one. Might live in an orchard," Shia said. With this information, the professor took the pair into his classroom, opening a large book in front of them.

"Woods God, hm? Well, let's see," he said, flicking through the pages. Two pages in, he came to a picture of what looked like a scarecrow tied to a post in a farmers field.

"Wait, wait, wait," Dean said, stopping the professor's flicking fingers. "What's that one?"

"Oh, that's not a woods God, per se," the professor said.

"The V… Vanir?" Dean stumbled out, reading from the book. The professor nodded, so he carried on reading. "The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female. Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?"

"I suppose," the professor said.

"This particular Vanir, it's energy sprung from the sacred tree?" Dean said.

"Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic," the professor told them.

"So what would happen if the sacred tree was torched?" Shia said. "You think it'd kill the god?"

"Guys, these are just legends we're discussing," the professor said with a small laugh.

"Oh, of course," Shia stammered out, trying to cover up and holding out her hand for the professor to shake. "Yeah, you're right. Listen, thank you very much."

"Glad I could help," the professor said, shaking Dean's hand as well before the couple turned to leave. As they opened the class room door to leave, the first thing they saw were the sheriff and Scotty before they were knocked to the ground by the butts of their riffles, out cold before their bodies hit the floor.

Dean and Shia had finally woken up, but they had found themselves alone in a cellar, both with killer headaches.

Since they had woken up, they had been trying to figure an escape plan. That was until the cellar door had been opened. Looking up they saw Emily, tears streaming down her face, being held between her aunt and uncle.

"Aunt Stacy. Uncle Harley, please," Emily begged as she was roughly dragged downstairs and stood next to Dean and Shia. "Why are you doing this?"

"For the common good," her Aunt Stacey answered as she closed the cellar door again, leaving Dean, Shia and now Emily in the dark again.

In the cellar, Dean was trying to break his way out of the door, unsuccessfully, while Shia and Emily watched from the bottom of the stairs.

"I don't understand," Emily said, going over everything Dean and Shia had told her again. "They're gonna kill us?"

"Sacrifice us. Which is, I don't know, classier, I guess?" Shia said as Dean walked back over to them.

"You really didn't know anything about this, did you?" Dean said.

"About what? The scarecrow God?" Emily cried out in disbelief. "I can't believe this."

"Well, you better start believing, cause we're gonna need your help," Shia told her, wanting to be sensitive, but really needing to knock this girl back to reality if they were gonna get out of this.

"Okay," Emily said softly.

"Now, we can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree," Dean said.

"What tree?" Emily asked.

"Maybe you can help us with that," Dean said. "It would be really old. The locals would treat it with a lot of respect, you know, like it was sacred."

"There was this one apple tree," Emily said, everything starting to click slowly into place. "The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the First Tree."

"Is it in the orchard?" Shia asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know where," Emily said. Before they could ask more, the cellar door swung open, Harley, Stacey, Scotty and the sheriff stood in front of them.

"It's time," Stacey said. All Dean, Shia and Emily could do was exchange a nervous glance, the shotguns aimed their way stopping them from making a quick escape.

Making sure their victims couldn't escape, Harley, Stacey, Scotty and the Sheriff tied Dean, Shia and Emily to two trees in the orchard.

"How many people have you killed, Sheriff?" Dean asked him as he tied his hands together. "How much blood is on your hands?"

"We don't kill them," the Sheriff answered.

"No, but you sure cover up after," Shia said as she was tied beside Dean, their hands locked together. "I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?"

The Sheriff had no answer for them this time. He just walked away, letting Harley and Stacey finish tying Emily to the other tree.

"Uncle Harley, please," Emily sobbed.

"I am so sorry, Em," Harley told her. "I wish it wasn't you."

"Try to understand. It's our responsibility," Stacey said. "And there's just no other choice. There's nobody else but you."

"I'm your family," Emily told her.

"Sweetheart, that's what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good," Stacey said, tears now springing to her eyes. "The town needs to be safe. The good of the many outweighs the good of the one."

With that final statement, the four walked away from their sacrifices.

"I hope your apple pie is freakin' worth it!" Dean screamed after them.

"So, what's the plan?" Emily asked, calming down a little.

"I'm workin' on it," Dean said.

However, hours later, once darkness had fallen, they were still tied in the same positions.

"You don't have a plan, do you?" Emily said.

"I'm workin' on it," Dean said yet again.

"Please. 'I'm working on it' my ass," Shia muttered out from beside him.

"Can you see?" Dean asked Emily, ignoring Shia's comment.

"What?" Emily asked.

"Is he moving yet?" Dean asked.

"I can't see," Emily said craning her neck. That statement was soon questioned as she did see something. A shadow moving their way through the trees.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" Emily sobbed out. Hearing the fear and panic in her voice, Dean and Shia pulled harder on their ropes, trying to free themselves to no avail. It didn't matter though, because the shadow was now standing beside them.

And it was Sam.

"Dean? Shia?" he said, the pair breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh! Oh, I take everything back I said. I'm so happy to see you," Dean said as Sam began to untie them. "Come on."

"How in the hell did you get here?" Shia asked, not that it really mattered how right now.

"I, uh…. I stole a car," Sam answered almost nervously.

"Ha ha! That's my boy!" Dean said as Sam finished untying them. "And keep an eye on that scarecrow. He could come alive any minute."

"What scarecrow?" Sam said. Now free from their ties, Dean and Shia jumped to their feet to see the scarecrow post already empty. Too late.

Making quick work of the ropes round Emily's wrist, the four now started running quickly through the orchard, eager to get out of here before the scarecrow came jumping out of the shadows.

"Alright, now, this sacred tree you're talking about…." Sam started.

"It's the source of its power," Shia explained.

"So let's find it and burn it," Sam said.

"Nah, in the morning," Dean said. "Let's just shag ass before Leather Face catches up."

But they didn't get too far as they ran into a clearing and came face to face with townspeople and shotguns aimed their way.

"This way," Dean said, turning the group in the opposite direction. But it was no use. They were surrounded from all angles.

"Please. Let us go," Emily begged of her aunt and uncle.

"It'll be over quickly, I promise," Harley told her.

"Please," Emily continued to beg.

"Emily, you have to let him take you. You have to…."

Harley's words were quickly cut off as the elusive scarecrow appeared behind him, piercing his sickle through his stomach while at the same time capturing a screaming Stacey and dragging them away. Emily herself screamed, turning and running into the nearest pair of arms, which happened to be Dean's.

Not wanting to be the next victims, the rest of the townspeople ran, fleeing in fright.

"Come on, let's go," Dean said, the four of the running for the exit now they could. Turning once they were out of the gates, the group found nothing but empty space and silence. The scarecrow, along with Harley and Stacey, was long gone.

Next morning, Sam, Dean, Shia and Emily were ready to get this over and done with for good. With gasoline and a lighter, they stood in front of the sacred tree Emily had led them to. While Sam poured gasoline over the trees surface, Shia picked up a long branch from the floor, Dean lighting the end.

"Let me," Emily said, reaching out to take the branch from Shia.

"You know, the whole town's gonna die, right?," Shia told her.

"Good," Emily said, throwing the lit branch onto the tree, standing back with the trio as the tree, as well as the towns future, burnt to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes.

With no home and no family left, Emily was now prepared to make it on her own. Climbing onto a bus for Boston, Emily turned one last time, looking out of the window at Sam, Dean and Shia watching her leave. Taking her seat on the bus as it drove off, Emily smiled a thankful smile at Dean and Shia, a small wave from both of them given in return being the last thing she saw.

"Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam asked.

"I hope so," Dean replied.

"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Sam said.

"Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough," Shia told him.

"So, can I drop you off somewhere?" Dean asked Sam as they walked back towards the car.

"No, I think you're stuck with me," Sam said as they stopped beside the car. The next thing he knew, Shia had jumped into his arms, a wide smile plastered across her face as she hugged him tightly.

"What made you change your mind?" Dean asked.

"I didn't. I still wanna find Dad. And you're still a pain in the ass," Sam said, dropping Shia to her feet again as Dean nodded. "But, Jess and Mom… they're both gone. Dad is God knows where. Us three. We're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together."

For a second, there was a pause between the three, Dean staring up at Sam.

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," he replied sarcastically, placing his hand against Sam's shoulder. Sam just pushed him away, the three laughing as they starting climbing back into the car.

"You should be kissing my ass," Sam said. "You were dead meat, dude."

"Yeah, right. I had a plan, I'd have gotten out," Dean said.

"Right. That would be what, the tenth time you've said 'I had a plan'? We were going to die, Dean." Shia said smirking at Dean, with a small laugh, Sam followed the two into the car, things are how they should be again.


	12. Faith

On their latest hunt, Sam, Dean and Shia now find themselves in front of an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. Inside was a monster, a rawhead, who had taken two young children. And it was their job to get them back.

Taking out the demon the only way they knew how, Dean pulled three tasers out of the trunk.

"What do you got those amped up to?" Sam asked as Dean handed one each to him and Shia.

"A hundred thousand volts," Dean answered.

"Damn, pretty high," Shia said.

"Yeah, I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with these things. So make it count," Dean told them as he made his way into the house, before he did Shia grabbed his arm. Dean turned to look at her.

"What, baby? Is something wrong?" Dean asked giving his girlfriend a concerned look.

"Just be careful, Dean. I have a bad feeling about this," Shia said before heading into house, this time Dean grabbed her arm. "What, Dean?" Dean pulled her close a gave her a loving kiss.

"I'm always careful, baby."

"Would you guys come on already?" Sam asked, Dean and Shia smiled at each other and walked over to Sam.

Walking cautiously down the stairs, guns and flashlight high in front of them, a noise knocked all their attention to a small cupboard.

"On three," Dean whispered to the other two. "One. Two. Three."

Pulling the cupboard roughly open, the trio came face to face with two very scared kids, cowering in the tight space.

"Is it still here?" Sam asked, to which the children merely nodded, unable to speak through fear.

"Okay. Grab your sister's hand," Shia said softly to the little boy. "Come on, we gotta get you out of here. Let's go, let's go."

Gently pushing the children in front of them, Sam, Dean and Shia led them towards the stairs.

"Alright, go!" Shia called to them, watching as the pair starting to flee up the stairs. Sam, who wasn't too far behind them, didn't get any closer to the exit himself as a hand snaked through the railing of the stairs, grabbing his leg and dragging him back down.

"Sam!" Shia screamed out as she moved to the other side of the staircase, coming face to face with the rawhead and shooting immediately. The monster, however, had seen it coming and ducked out of the way, Shia's one and only shot missing.

"Sam, get 'em outta here!" Dean yelled, motioning up to the kids.

"You take this!" Sam called back, throwing his own tazer down, which Shia easily caught, dropping her useless one. With Sam getting the kids safely outside, Dean and Shia were left to take down this monster.

"Come on," he called into the basement, his flashlight flicking over box after box after… demon!

As his flashlight beam illuminated the creature's features, Dean aimed his gun, but not quick enough. Before Dean could get a shot off, the demon flew at him, flinging him across the room where he landed in a puddle of water in the corner.

Coming up the other side, Shia took her own shot at the demon again. The demon, however, was already charging at her. Her aim on a fast moving object not perfect, Shia's second shot missed, the creature knocking her aside as it made it's way to Dean. She was merely a distraction.

Seeing the creature loam over him, Dean scrambled for the only working gun, taking aim at the creature. But he failed to see what Shia did.

The creature was standing in the same puddle of water Dean was lay in.

"Dean, no!" Shia screamed to him, but it was too late. Dean had taken his shot and hit, electrocuting the demon. The high current flowed through the creature, into the puddle… and into Dean.

While the creature collapsed to the floor, dead, Dean twitched and shuddered against the heavy flow of electricity working it's way through his body.

"Dean, baby!" Shia screamed out again, running across the room as her boyfriend fell into unconsciousness.

The kids safe upstairs, Sam chose now to run back into the basement, seeing the sight before him. Dean unconscious in a puddle of water with Shia at his, barely able to control her tears.

"Dean!" Sam cried out as he dropped to the floor by their side. "Dean, hey. Hey."

Sam shook his brother, trying to bring him to, but it wasn't working.

"What happened?" Sam asked a now near hysterical Shia.

"The rawhead," Shia sobbed out through her shaking and tears. "Dean shot it with the taser but it backfired, travelled through the water. I tried to stop him but…."

"Shia, its okay," Sam said softly, trying to calm her down some. "Calm down. We just gotta get him to a hospital."

All Shia could do was nod, wipe at her tears, and hope to God Sam was right. She couldn't lose her boyfriend, he means so much to her.

After piling Dean into the car and breaking every known speed limit, Sam and Shia had taken Dean to the nearest hospital. And, having to take care of the frightened children as well, a shaken Shia was stood in front of two police officers, her arms wrapped tight round herself, while Sam stood at the reception desk, sorting out Dean's admittance.

"Sir, I'm so sorry to ask. There doesn't seem to be any insurance on file," the receptionist told him.

"Right. Uh, okay," Sam said distractedly, taking a card from his wallet and handing it to her.

"Okay, Mr. Burkovitz," the receptionist said with a smile. Sam tried his best to smile in response as he moved away from her, standing by Shia and the officer. Seeing the way Shia was stood, Sam slipped his arm round her comfortingly, pulling her into his side.

"Look, we can finish this up later," the officer said, like Sam, obviously seeing the distraught state Shia was in.

"No, no, it's okay," Sam said, wanting to get through the story as quick as possible. "We were just taking a shortcut through the neighbourhood. And, um, the windows were rolled down, we heard some screaming. We drove past the house, and we stopped. Ran in."

"And you found the kids in the basement?" the officer asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Well, thank God you did," the officer said. Behind him, Sam noticed Dean's doctor making his way towards them.

"Excuse me," Sam said to the officers.

"Sure. Thanks for your help," the officer said as Sam led Shia over to the doctor.

"Hey, Doc. Is he…." Sam said.

"He's resting," the doctor finished for him

"And?" Sam said, urging him to continue.

"The electrocution triggered a heart attack," the doctor said. "Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart… it's damaged."

"How damaged?" Sam asked.

"We've done all we can," the doctor said, his tone showing pure sympathy for them. "We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But, I'd give him a couple weeks, at most, maybe a month."

"What? No. No. Oh God No.," Shia muttered, uttering her first words since they had entered the hospital, her tears now flowing freely as she buried herself against Sam's chest, his arms wrapping round her.

"There's… there's gotta be something you can do," Sam said, pushing back his own tears. "Some kind of treatment."

"We can't work miracles. I really am sorry," the doctor said, leaving the two stood in the hallway, Shia sobbing in his arms and letting her tears flow freely while Sam adamantly kept his trapped behind his eyes. This time, it was his turns to be the strong brother, if not for the sake of his own sanity.

In his own private hospital room, Dean was sat with the remote in hand, flicking through the channels of daytime TV. When Sam and Shia came in, and he looked up at him, Sam's battle against tears almost ended. The guy lay in that bed did not look like his brother. His wasn't strong and full of life anymore, but the total opposite. He was pale and drawn, dark circles under his eyes. Shia's strangled sob told Sam the same thoughts were running through her head. She had calmed down slightly, stopped crying, but Sam knew she could start again any minute. And he didn't blame her.

"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV?" Dean said once they entered, trying to lighten the mood as always. "It's terrible."

"We talked to your doctor," Sam said with a sigh.

"That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down," Dean continued, adamantly ignoring Sam.

"Dean," Sam said again, making sure he couldn't ignore him anymore as he looked up at them.

"Yeah," Dean said, turning off the TV. "Alright, well, looks like you guys are gonna leave town without me."

"What are you talking about?" Sam said. "We're not gonna leave you here."

"Hey, you guys better take care of that car," Dean continued in his joke filled manner. "Or, I swear, I'll haunt your asses. And Sam, you take care of my girl. You two should get married and carry on the Winchester name. Make sure to name your first son after me."

"It's not funny, asshole," Shia said, wanting to bust into full out tears with each word Dean said, or each stupid joke he made at his own expensive, when all Shia wanted was his reassurance. For him to tell her this was nothing, that he was gonna be fine and they would be on the road as a group again in no time.

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny," Dean told her, a thick silence now hanging in the air between them. "Look, what can I say?" Dean continued, the jokes going out of the window at the looks on his brother and girlfriend's faces. "It's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story."

"Don't talk like that, alright?" Sam said. "We still have options."

"What options?" Dean said, beginning to get a little angry with the two for not understanding. "Yeah, burial or cremation."

"Wonderful," Shia said, the new tears she had been so strongly pushing aside springing back to the front. "You know I hate you right now..."

Not needing Dean to see her cry right now, Shia ran from the room before the sobbing took over her body, Sam and Dean's eyes on her the whole time. Dean had seen the look in her eyes when she had ran, even though she tried to hide it from him. And the minute he had, he regretted his words.

"She took the words right out of my mouth," Sam said, turning back to his brother, his own voice beginning to take on a hint of anger now. Dean continued to stare at the door for a second longer as if staring that intently would someone make Shia walk back through it without those horrible tears he had caused behind her eyes.

"Look," Dean said, his voice a little softer now. "I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you guys can't stop it."

"Watch us," Sam said, sweeping out of the door after Shia. And if he hadn't stopped abruptly, he probably would have tripped over her. She was sat on the floor, her head in her knees to capture the tears.

"Shia?" he said softly, making her look up at him with the tears still streaming down her face.

"How can he be such a dick about it Sam?" she said to him. "He's dying. And he's right. What can we do to save him?"

Watching her break gently again, Sam sat on the floor beside her, pulling her closer to him and letting her cry in his arms again.

"I'll find a way to save him. I promise," Sam whispered to her after a minute, adamant that he would do it. He pulled away slightly, making Shia look up at him. "I'm going back to the motel. What do you want to do?"

"I wanna stay here with him, I need to talk to him," she said softly.

"Okay," Sam said, pressing a gentle kiss on his best friend's forehead, the only woman in the world both brothers would always care about and do practically anything for. With a comforting smile her way, Sam left the hospital, leaving Shia in exactly the same position.

For a moment, Shia stayed where she was. What exactly was she gonna do if she walked back in that room?

One of the reasons she wasn't jumping up to go back in that room with him, alone, was because she couldn't see him like that again. This was Dean Winchester, the guy despite everything that had happened in his family, had always stood strong. He had always been there for Shia, ready to save her life or pick her up when she was down. And now, in a month's time, Shia wasn't gonna have that anymore. He'd be gone, and she honestly didn't know just how well she'd cope without him by her side.

Wiping at the stray tears that had leaked from her eyes, Shia stood, staring at the door that now separated her and Dean. With a deep sigh, Shia pushed it open, Dean looking up at her as she just stood in the doorway. And the eyes that stared back at her broke Shia inside even more. They weren't Dean anymore. Eyes that usually held such light and laughter, eyes that gave her strength, were now dark and weary, holding no strength of their own.

"You gonna come in or what?" Dean finally said into the silence. Slowly, Shia did just that, gently lowering herself onto the edge of the bed beside Dean.

"I'm sorry," Dean said so quietly, Shia almost didn't hear him.

"For what, Dean?" she asked.

"Everything that's happened," Dean said. "It's all gotta be my fault somehow."

"The only thing you have to apologize for is the way you're talking about all this," Shia told him.

"What, you mean being truthful?"

"No, I mean being a total dick. Not caring how it sounds to me and Sam."

"What do you mean, Sam? He didn't say a thing."

"And he won't. He wants to be brave in front of his big brother. He's not gonna say how much this scares him. How much this scares both of us. You need to think how this is for me and Sam."

"Oh, well I'm sorry if I didn't stop to consider how you guys felt in all this!" Dean said, the anger hitting his voice again.

"There you go again," Shia said, anger now taking over her fears and tears. "Not thinking before you open your mouth."

"I'm not really bothered about that right now Shia," Dean told her. "After all, I'm gonna be six feet under in a month."

"Stop," Shia screamed, jumping off the bed and turning her back on him. "Just stop it! Please Dean."

Her shoulders shaking slightly told Dean that once again, tears were streaking down Shia's cheeks. And just the amount of times she had been crying over him told Dean just how much she was hurting over this. For the second time, he regretted the words that had moments ago left his mouth.

"Shia, babe," Dean said, making her turn to him. He was sat up, his arms spread out to her. "Come here."

Needing more than anything the overwhelming comfort she always got from Dean, Shia crossed the room in one bound and buried herself in his arms, crying against his chest.

"I love you, Dean," Shia mumbled into his chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Dean said nothing. He just wrapped his arms tighter round Shia, trying to comfort her. He knew how much this must have been getting to Sam and Shia, he had seen it on their faces. But what neither of them knew was just how tough it was for him. He didn't want to die, and the idea that he might was actually scaring him. But Dean didn't get scared. He had to stay strong for Sam and Shia. So what did he do when he was scared? He made jokes, he laughed it off. He didn't think how much this was hurting the others around him.

While his girl cried in his arms, Dean couldn't stop the single tear that slid down his face.

"Dean?" Shia said looking at Dean. He gave her a weak smile.

"Yeah?" he said.

"If you ever put the word 'Sam and Marriage and Me and Children' in the same sentence again, I'll be pissed." Dean laughed at a little at his girlfriend's comment.

As they continue to cuddle on the hospital bed, a nurse walked in the room, almost disappointed that Dean had a women in bed with him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but what is your relationship to the patient?" The nurse asked with a friendly smile, Shia looked at her and can see right through her bull.

"I'm his wife, the mother of his child," Shia said walking over to her purse to pull out a picture of herself when she was a baby; she had puffy, curly black hair and light brown skin. The nurse looked at the picture and smiled.

"You have a beautiful baby. How old is she?"

"She's turning two next month," Dean said lying smoothly, Shia turned to Dean and have him a smile; Dean looked at her and gave her a wink. "Baby, you should go home and feed her and her cousin, Sammy."

"Right, Dean, I should get going. Don't want my baby getting hungry at home," Shia said grabbing her purse and leaving. Shia got to the impala, Sam must have walked to the motel they were in. It wasn't far from the hospital. Shia was about to start the car when someone knocked on the car door, she turned to get a look at the person, she saw a fully clothed Dean standing outside the car giving her a weak grin. Shia rolled down the window, and looked at her silly boyfriend.

"Dean, what the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be resting!" Shia said to her boyfriend. Dean walked slowly around the car to the passenger seat, opened the door and got in.

"Just drive, woman. I'm not dying in no hospital," Dean said closing his eyes to the sound of the impala engine running.

Back in the silence of the empty motel room, Sam sat on his bed as always surrounded by research. But today was a different kind of research. Today he was surrounded by books and leaflets on heart care. But, Sam being Sam and what they did, it wasn't doctors that were solving his problems. It was his father's journal.

Speaking of his father, Sam thought now was the time to try and get in touch with him, tell him what was wrong with his son. Even if he knew he'd never get an answer.

"This is John Winchester," his father's voicemail spoke to him, proving Sam right. "I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 866-907-3235. He can help."

As the beep sounded in his ear, Sam for about the third time today tried to push back his tears as he started telling his dad just what this call was about.

"Hey, Dad. It's Sam," Sam began, his voice already staring to break as his pent up emotions got on top of him." Uh… you probably won't even get this, but, uh…. It's Dean. He's sick, and uh… the doctors say there's nothing they can do. Um… but, uh, they don't know the things we know, right? So, don't worry, cause, uh… I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him better. Alright… just wanted you to know."

Hanging up, Sam tossed the phone onto the bed across from him. Now he was alone, he could fell the tears beginning to spring to the front of his eyes. Shia had been at the hospital since Sam had left, and he didn't figure she'd be coming back anytime soon. So now was the time when he could really let his emotions take over.

Since he had left the hospital, he had been trying his hardest not to think of Dean and just what would happen if they didn't fix this. Because the last thing that could happen right now is that he could lose his brother. He had just found him again, started to be a proper family with him and Shia, and now they knew for sure their father was alive, even if they had no idea where he was. Now was the worst possible time for all this to go wrong.

A knock on the door meant his emotions had to take a back seat again. The only person that could be was Shia, and he had to be strong for her sake right now. He knew this was just as tough on her, maybe worse. Sam knew just how much she loved Dean.

Opening the door, he did come face to face with Shia, only she wasn't alone. She had Dean leaning against her side, looking even worse, if that was possible.

"He wouldn't listen to me. And how can I say 'no' to that handsome face?" Shia said as if in answer.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked his brother.

"I checked myself out," Dean said, stepping past Sam and into the motel room.

"What, are you crazy?" Sam said to him.

"Well, I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot," Dean said with a slight shrug.

"Why the hell would you care if the nurses were hot? I would be pissed at that comment but you're sick," Shia told him, making Sam laugh as he closed the door behind them.

"You know, this whole 'I-Laugh-In-The-Face-Of-Death' thing?" Sam told his brother. "It's crap. I can see right through it."

"Yeah, whatever, dude," Dean said as Shia helped her weakened boyfriend into a nearby chair. "Have you even slept? You look worse than me."

"I've been scouring the Internet for the last three days," Sam told him. "Calling every contact in Dad's journal."

"For what?" Dean asked.

"For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist."

"You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you?"

"I'm not gonna let you die, period. We're going."

Dean didn't give Sam an answer. Instead, he turned to Shia, who was staring at him, smiling almost pleadingly. She wanted him to do this, didn't want to lose him.

And that was the only reason he gave in.

"Shia?" Dean asked as he watched his girlfriend pack their bags.

"What, handsome?"

"You know since I'm sick, I can't be on top like I want to,"

"Dean, what the hell are you talking about?" Shia asked turning to Dean, he gave her a look and motioned to the bed. "My God, Dean. Even when you're sick you're a pervert." Dean let out a weak laugh, how can this girl make him happy during this dark time in his life?

In Nebraska, Sam's idea of a specialist was a tent with the words 'The Church of Roy LeGrange Faith Healer. Witness The Miracle', written across the top and a group of very sick looking people making their way inside.

Pulling their car up outside, Sam and Shia were out first, stepping round the car to help Dean out of the car with a slight grunt of pain.

"I got it," Dean said, shrugging away from Sam and Shia's hands. "Man, you are a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor."

"I believe I said a specialist," Sam half-joked. "Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal."

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent," Dean said.

"Reverend LeGrange is a great man," an elderly woman with an eavesdropping ear said as she past them.

"Yeah, that's nice," Dean grated out. Still walking towards the tent, Sam, Dean and Shia past another member of the crowd, this guy with a very different opinion to the old woman.

"I have a right to protest," the man called out. "This man is a fraud. And he's bilking all these people out of their hard-earned money."

"Sir, this is a place of worship," a sheriff said as he and his partner walked the man away from the tent. "Let's go. Move it."

"I take it he's not part of the flock," Dean said.

"When people see something they can't explain, there's controversy," Sam said.

"I mean, come on, Sam, a faith healer?" Dean grated out to his brother.

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, babe," Shia said, adding her opinion.

"You know what I've got faith in?" Dean told the pair. "Reality. Knowing what's really going on."

"How can you be a skeptic? With the things we see everyday?" Sam asked.

"Exactly," Dean said, as if Sam was making his point for him instead of against him. "We see them, we know they're real."

"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?" Shia said.

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people," Dean told them.

"Maybe God works in mysterious ways," another crowd member said, turning to them. This one was a pretty young blonde woman.

"Maybe he does," Dean said. "I think you just turned me around on the subject."

"Uh huh," Shia said with a roll of her eyes as the girl smiled and Dean extended his hand to her.

"I'm Dean. This is Sam and Shia."

"Layla," the young girl said, taking Dean's offered hand. "So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"

"Well, apparently these two here believe enough for the lot of us," Dean told her.

"If this works, I'm so slapping Dean later," Shia whispered to Sam as Layla's mother walked up to her daughter.

"Come on, Layla. It's about to start," she said, guiding her daughter away with a wave goodbye.

"Well, I bet you she can work in some mysterious ways," Dean joked. Sam just smiled slightly, knowing his brother, while Shia glared and poked him gently in the arm, guiding him towards the tent as Mrs Rourke had with Layla.

Inside the tent there was already a large group of people sat waiting for the service to begin, while Dean's eyes immediately went to the security camera's in the corners.

"Yeah, peace, love, and trust all over," Dean said, pointing out the camera's to Sam and Shia. Dean carried on walking further into the tent, heading towards a seat in the back.

"Come on," Sam said, pushing Dean further towards the front.

"What are you doing? Let's sit here," Dean said.

"We're sitting up front," Sam told him.

"What? Why?"

"Come on."

"Oh, come on, guys." But despite is protests, Dean was still led towards the front, Sam and Shia trying to help him.

"Are you alright?" Shia asked.

"This is ridiculous. I'm good, get off me," Dean said, pushing away from the pair as they came to three seats close to the front behind Layla and her mother.

"Perfect," Sam said of the seats.

"Yeah, perfect," Dean said with next to no emotion.

"You take the aisle," Sam told him, the three sitting in their seats just as their host, Roy LeGrange, walked onto stage, dark glasses over his blind eyes.

"Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?" Roy called out to the very agreeable crowd. "Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act."

As he spoke, Sam looked up at the table behind Roy, noticing the items on it. It was filled with crosses and religious items, one in particular catching his attention. It was a cross with a smaller one on top of it, the smaller one inside a circle.

"But, I say to you, God is watching. God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt," Roy continued to the crowd who were agreeing with and believing his every word. "Who does the healing here, friends? The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

"Yeah, or into their wallets," Dean muttered quietly just to Sam and Shia.

"You think so, young man?" Roy said to Dean, the rest of the church going silent.

"Sorry," Dean said, embarrassed.

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears," Roy said, making his followers laugh. "What's your name, son?"

"Dean," Dean answered after a slight hesitation.

"Dean. I want… I want you to come up here with me," Roy said, his wife Sue Ann getting onto the stage to welcome Dean up while the crowd cheered in excitement, Layla and her mother the only ones not joining in with the cheers but looking upset at the news.

"No, that's ok," Dean yelled over the noise.

"What the hell are you doing? Go up there," Shia said to him.

"You've come here to be healed, haven't you?" Roy said.

"Well, yeah, but…." Dean began, his voice beginning to get drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. "No, maybe you should just pick someone else."

"Oh, no, I didn't pick you, Dean," Roy said over the claps. "The Lord did."

"Get up there!" Sam said, pushing a reluctant and uncomfortable looking Dean up to the stage.

"You ready?" Roy asked him.

"Look, no disrespect, but I'm not exactly a believer," Dean said to Roy.

"You will be, son. You will be," Roy said before turning to the crowd. "Pray with me, friends."

The crowd lifted their hands into the air, following Roy's lead. Roy reached out his hand feeling for Dean's shoulder, Dean looking just as nervous as the anxious Sam and Shia in the crowd.

"Alright, now. Alright, now," Roy said, moving his hand to Dean's forehead as he worked his healing magic.

The crowd, which of course included Sam and Shia, watched as Dean began to look weak and dizzy, his eyes closes and his legs falling from under him as he fell to his knees. Roy kept his hand against Dean's forehead, almost guiding him down as he collapsed to the floor. The crowd cheered and clapped, seeing something Sam and Shia weren't as they became scared.

"Dean!" Shia called out, her and Sam racing to the stage. Shia knelt beside Dean, shaking him slightly until he woke with a heavy gasp.

"Say something," Shia said to him. But Dean remained silent, in shock over what had just happened. His blurry vision focusing slowly, Dean's eyes fell on someone new in the room. An old man, his face grey and dead and his hair white, was stood behind Roy dressed in a suit. His eyes landed on Dean before vanishing, leaving Dean even more shocked.

Back at the dreaded hospital for a second time, Dean now looked a little different. He was sat up on an examination table, looking as well as he always did, while Sam and Shia stood beside him.

"Babe, do you really feel okay?" Shia asked almost expectantly.

"I feel fine, Shia," Dean assured her as the nurse walked back into the room, Dean's papers in her hand.

"Well, according to all your tests, there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was," the nurse said, getting two totally different reactions from the people in front of her. Sam and Shia seemed almost ecstatic, happy to have their brother and boyfriend back, while Dean simply looked curious, almost worried about the news.

"Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble," the nurse continued. "But still, it's strange it does happen."

"What do you mean, strange?" Dean asked.

"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack," the nurse said, making Dean look concerned again.

"Thanks, Doc," he said.

"Oh, no problem," she said with a slight smile as she left.

"That's odd," Dean said to Sam and Shia once she was gone.

"Maybe it's a coincidence," Sam suggested. "People's hearts give out all the time, man"

"No, they don't," Dean argued back.

"Look, babe, do we really have to look this one in the mouth?" Shia said hopefully. "Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"

"Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why," Dean said.

"What feeling?" Shia asked, she didn't know why she all of the sudden became annoyed why Dean.

"When I was healed, I just… I felt wrong," Dean said. "I felt cold. And for a second, I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, it was a spirit."

"But if there was something there, Dean, I think I would've seen it, too," Sam said. "I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

"Well, excuse me, psychic wonder," Dean said, his voice only half joking. "But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."

At Dean's words, Sam and Shia exchanged a look. Dean was fine now, not gonna die, and they just wanted to get out of this place. The two of them were almost over the moon that Dean wasn't gonna die, absolutely ready to take all this on faith, where as Dean was just trying to rationalise everything. Almost as if he was looking for reasons to get out of this, to be a month away from death again.

"Yeah, alright," Sam said, him and Shia giving in to Dean's wishes. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"I want you to go check out the heart attack guy. I'm gonna visit the reverend," Dean told them.

"Alone?" Shia asked.

"Yeah, you go with Sam," Dean said grabbing his jacket.

"Whatever," Shia said as she walked past Dean.

"What did I do this time?" Dean asked his little brother. "Is she pissed at me or something?" Sam simply shrugged walking out the door.

Dean stopped the car at the gym that the guy with the heart attack worked out. Sam got out the car walking into the gym, but Shia remained sitting in her seat.

"Aren't you going to get out?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm coming with you," Shia said looking everywhere but in Dean's direction. Dean sighed deeply not wanting to start an argument with his girlfriend, he wanted to do anything but make her mad. He doesn't want her pissed at him for the rest of the week, I mean he likes to spoon at night but when she's pissed they keep their distance in the bed.

Going their separate ways for their separate jobs, Shia had not gone with Sam like Dean had originally suggested. Instead she was now sat with him in Reverend Roy LeGrange's house.

"I feel great," Dean told the reverend. "Just trying to, you know, make sense of what happened."

"A miracle is what happened," Sue Ann said from beside her husband. "Well, miracles come so often around Roy."

"When did these miracles start?," Shia asked Roy.

"Woke up one morning, stone blind," Roy began to tell them. "Doctors figured out I had cancer. Told me I had maybe a month. So, uh, we prayed for a miracle. Now, I was weak, but I told Sue Ann, 'You just keep right on praying'. I went into a coma. Doctors said I wouldn't wake up, but I did. And the cancer was gone."

Ending his story, Roy removed his sunglasses to reveal his white, blind eyes.

"If it wasn't for these eyes, no one would believe I'd ever had it," Roy said.

"And all of the sudden you could heal people," Shia added.

"I discovered it afterward, yes," Roy said. "God's blessed me in many ways."

"And his flock just swelled overnight," Sue Ann said proudly. "And this is just the beginning."

"Can I ask you one last question?" Dean said.

"Of course you can," Roy answered in his cheerful tone.

"Why?" Dean asked. "Why me? Out of all the sick people, why save me?"

"Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me," Roy said. "I looked into your heart, and you just stood out from all the rest."

"What did you see in my heart?" Dean asked.

"A young man with an important purpose," Roy said. "A job to do. And it isn't finished."

Shia smiled at Roy's words, seeing just how true they actually were. Dean on the other hand, couldn't see. Roy's words simply surprised, even confused him further.

Doing his end of the job, Sam was at the local gym talking to a friend of Marshall Hall, the heart attack victim.

"I'm telling you, he seemed healthy," the man told him. "Swam every day, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack just kind of seemed, well, bizarre."

"And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out. He said that something was, uh, was after him."

"Did he say what?"

"Well, thin air is what. I mean, it wasn't anything."

Sam thought on his words for a moment, taking them in, and thinking about just what Dean had said to. The invisible man on the stage only he seemed able to see.

"Alright, thanks," Sam said, turning to leave before he noticed a clock on the wall above him, the hands still. "Hey, buddy? Your, uh, your clock's busted."

"Oh, yeah, we, uh, can't get it workin'," the man said. "Just froze at 4:17."

"Is that the same time Marshall died?" Sam guessed.

"How'd you know?" the guy asked. Sam didn't answer. He just stored this piece of information away with all the others, new ideas coming to his mind.

Back at Reverend LeGrange's house, Dean and Shia were leaving just as Layla and her mother were heading towards the house.

"Dean, Shia, hey," Layla greeted with a sweet smile.

"Hey," Dean replied.

"How you feeling?" Layla asked.

"I feel good. Cured, I guess," Dean answered. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, my mom, she wanted to talk to the reverend," Layla said as Sue Ann came outside.

"Layla?" she greeted.

"Yes, I'm here again," Layla said with another smile.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Roy is resting, and he won't be seeing anyone else right now," Sue Ann said.

"Sue Ann, please," Mrs Rourke almost begged. "This is our sixth time, he's got to see us."

"Roy is well aware of Layla's situation," Sue Ann told her. "And he very much wants to help just as soon as the Lord allows. Have faith, Mrs. Rourke."

With these final words, Sue Ann walked back inside the house. Alone, Mrs Rourke now turned her attention on Dean, visibly upset.

"Why are you still even here?" Mrs Rourke asked him, anger also in her voice. "You got what you wanted."

"Mom. Stop," Layla said.

"No, Layla, this is too much," Mrs Rourke said. "We've been to every single service. If Roy would stop choosing these strangers over you. Strangers who don't even believe. I just can't pray any harder."

"What's wrong, Layla?" Shia asked her.

"I have this thing…." Layla said slowly, her words trailing off.

"It's a brain tumor," Mrs Rourke continued for her. "It's inoperable. In six months, the doctors say..."

As her mothers words trailed off, Layla put her hand against her shoulder, comforting her mother.

"I'm sorry," Dean said softly.

"It's okay," Layla said.

"No. It isn't," Mrs Rourke said before turning to Dean. "Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?"

Mrs Rourke walked away, her daughter following her with tears in her eyes. Dean watched after them for a moment, thinking the exact same thing Mrs Rourke had just put out in the open.

Still distracted thinking about it, Dean walked back towards the car, Shia behind him. While Shia pulled her door open, Dean paused slightly, staring at nothing.

"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Shia asked him.

"I'm fine," Dean said, clearly covering something.

"Yeah, right," Shia said. "I know you, babe. Something's up."

Dean paused, again looking away and at anything but his girlfriend.

"I'm just thinking… maybe Mrs Rourke was right," Dean said finally. "What is so important about me that I deserve to live over everyone else back there? Over Layla?"

"Dean, don't," Shia said softly.

"But I'm right," Dean said. "What makes me so important?"

"What makes you so important is exactly what Roy said about you," Shia told him.

"Come on, babe. You know that was just bull," Dean said.

"No, it wasn't," Shia said adamantly.

"How can you be so sure?" Dean asked her.

"Because he saw what I see everyday Dean," Shia told him. "What I see beneath what you show the world. Everything you do for these complete strangers, all the lives you've saved. Dean, you are the most amazing guy I have ever met."

Walking closer to Dean, Shia gently took hold of his hands. And as she looked up at him, Dean could see her eyes glistening slightly.

"I trust in your instincts," Shia continued. "I really do. But…. Dean, I'm not gonna be upset that the man I love is still alive. I'm just not. You can't expect me to."

As she spoke, Dean looked deep into her eyes, seeing her like he always did. Shia truly meant every word she said. She believed in him, in what she saw inside him. And Dean loved the way she saw him, the way she had faith in him when he wasn't even sure he had faith in himself. That faith she had in him was almost overwhelming and he couldn't see where she had got it from, why she had. But he was glad she had it.

Pulling her closer to him, Dean wrapped her in a tight hug, Shia arms almost instinctively wrapping themselves round him as she hugged him back.

"I don't," Dean whispered softly to her.

Back at the motel room, Sam was sat in front of his laptop when Dean and Shia walked back in.

"What'd you find out?" Dean asked.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, a sad look on his face.

"Sorry about what?" Dean asked.

"Marshall Hall died at 4:17," Sam told them.

"The exact time I was healed," Dean added.

"Yeah. So, I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits," Sam said, handing Dean and Shia a pile of research. "Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time."

"Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer? That is messed up," Shia said.

"Somehow," Sam said. "LeGrange, he's trading a life for another."

"Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?" Dean said.

"Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway," Sam said. "And someone else would've been healed."

"You never should've brought me here," Dean told them.

"Honey, we were just trying to save your life," Shia said.

"But some guy is dead now because of me," Dean argued.

"We didn't know," Shia argued back.

"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it?" Sam said. "How's he trading a life for a life?"

"Oh, he's not doing it," Dean said. "Something else is doing it for him."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"The old man I saw on stage," Dean said. "I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew it."

"You knew what?" Shia asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that," Dean said, to which Sam and Shia simply looked confused. "We're dealing with a reaper."

"You really think it's the Grim Reaper?" Shia said after letting the information sink in. "Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?"

"No, no, no. Not the Reaper, a reaper," Dean said. "There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on Earth. Go by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one of 'em."

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit," Sam said.

"Well, what, do you think he should've been workin' the whole black robe thing? You said it yourself that the clock stopped, right?" Dean said, holding up on of the information sheet he had. "Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're comin' at you, which is why I could see it and you couldn't."

"Maybe," Sam said.

"There's nothing else it could be," Dean said. "The question is how's Roy controllin' the damn thing?"

"That cross," Sam said, more to himself than the others.

"What?" Dean asked.

"There was this cross. I noticed it in the church tent, I knew I had seen it before," Sam clarified while shuffling through the papers in front of him. Picking one from the pile, Sam handed it to Dean and Shia. On it was a drawing of a skeleton, a drown on it's head and the cross Sam had seen in the corner.

"A tarot?" Dean questioned.

"It makes sense," Sam said. "I mean, tarot dates back to the early Christian era, right? When some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy, and how to push death away, how to cause it."

"So, Roy is using black magic to bind the reaper?" Shia put before the group.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind," Sam said. "It's like putting a dog leash on a Great White."

"Ok, then we stop Roy," Dean said after a moment of thought.

"How?" Sam asked.

"You know how," Dean said simply.

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean?" Shia said, clocking on. "We can't kill Roy."

"The guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies," Dean argued back. "That's a monster in my book."

"No, we're not gonna kill a human being, Dean," Sam said, backing Shia's side. "We do that, we're no better than he is."

"Ok, so we can't kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas, college boy?" Dean said sarcastically.

"Ok, uh, if Roy is using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we've gotta figure out what it is," Sam said, coming up with a 'bright idea'. "And how to break it."

Trying to figure out how this was happening, Sam, Dean and Shia were back at Roy LeGrange's church the next day.

"If Roy is using a spell, there might be a spell book," Sam said as the group got out of the car.

"See if you guys can find it," Dean said, checking his watch. "Hurry up, too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy."

"Alright," Sam said, their path taking them past the protester they had seen there the other day.

"Roy LeGrange is a fraud," he continued to shout to anyone in the crowd that would listen. "He's no healer."

"Amen, brother," Dean said to the guy, Dean, Sam and Shia the only people paying much attention to this man.

"Preach it, bae," Shia added.

"Thank you," he said, watching them walk away, Sam and Shia in one direction while Dean headed towards the tent. As they were walking Sam smiled widely at his best friend.

"What the hell are smiling about, pretty boy?" Shia said to Sam.

"I don't know but when you said 'Preach it, bae' I thought it was funny," Sam said laughing a little.

"You guys have your way of agreeing with a good message, I have mine."

Outside the LeGrange house, Sue Ann was with her husband, her and another man helping him down the porch steps. Once they were gone, Sam and Shia pulled out of their hiding place, sneaking round the front of the house and through a window.

Inside, the pair found themselves in the library, both searching through the books on the shelves.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Shia asked Sam for clarification.

"I'm not sure," Sam said honestly. "A spell book clearly, but it could be a number of things."

"Right," Shia said, going back to the search.

Looking over the shelves, Sam noticed a thin layer of dust along the front of the books covering the wood. All but in one place where the wood could been seen through a small gap in the dust. This book had been pulled out recently.

Taking it from the shelf, Sam read the front cover. Encyclopaedia of Christian History. He began flipping through the pages as Shia moved to stand beside him. Looking over his shoulder, Shia noticed something else on the shelf that he had missed. In the space where the encyclopaedia had been was another, smaller book, tucked away and hidden. Pulling it out, Shia flipped through the pages of this book with Sam watching her. She stopped when she came to a picture of a reaper.

"I think it's safe to say this is what we were looking for," Shia said, flipping through the pagers again until Sam suddenly stopped her.

"Wait," he said, pointing to the picture on this page. "That's the cross."

Tucked away in the pages of this book were a number of newspaper clippings. Taking them out, Sam flipped through the subjects and headlines of some. The first was an article about an openly gay teacher who was sending a strong message of tolerance and acceptance to the nation's schools. The next one started with the headline: 'Local Abortion Rights Advocate Calls For End To Violence Against Woman'. The third clipping the two recognised, taking notice of. It was an article about Roy's very own protester, David Wright.

"Damn it, and I think we found his next victim," Shia said, her and Sam leaving the house with the small book.

Waiting and watching inside the tent, Dean attention was drawn to the cell phone in his pocket as it rang.

"What do you got?" Dean asked as he answered it.

"Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral," Shia's voice spoke on the other end. "And we think we know who's next on his list. Remember that protestor?"

"The guy in the parking lot?" Dean said.

"Yeah. Yeah, we'll find him," Shia said. "But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?"

Both hung up, Dean going back to his waiting game while Sam and Shia searched the car park for David.

The waiting game paid off, somewhat, as Roy began his service.

"Layla. Layla Rourke," Roy called into the audience. "Come up here, child."

As the crowd clapped and cheered for Layla, she stood, hugging her mother tight.

"Baby, I love you," Mrs Rourke whispered into her daughter's ear.

"Oh, man," Dean groaned out. Why did it have to be her?

As Layla removed herself from her mother's arms, making her way up to the stage, Dean stood in her way.

"Layla, listen to me, you can't go up there," he told her.

"Why not?" Layla asked. "We've waited for months."

"You can't let Roy heal you," Dean told her.

"I don't understand," Lalyla said softly. "I mean, Roy healed you, didn't he? Why wouldn't I at least let him try?"

"Because if you do, something bad is gonna happen," Dean told her the half truth. "I can't explain, I just need you to believe me."

"Layla," Sue ann called to her, holding out her hand for Layla to join her on the stage.

"Please," Dean almost begged her as Lalyla looked back into her mother's eyes, the woman urging her to go forward.

"I'm sorry," Layla told Dean, brushing past him.

"Layla. Layla!" Dean called after her. but she didn't listen. She just moved to the stage, taking Sue Ann's hand and letting herself be led forward.

Out in the parking lot, Sam and Shia were still looking for David with no luck.

"Help!" they suddenly heard his voice call out. Following the voice and the direction they believed it to be in, Sam and Shia continued to search for David who, unknown to them, had already been marked by the reaper.

In the church, Roy had begun his service, raising his hands in the air.

"Pray with me, friends," he said to the crowd before turning to Layla. "I hope you're ready."

"I am," Layla said as the crowd raised their arms along with Roy. All but Dean, who stood still in the back, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

In the parking lot, David was still calling out for help as the reaper was cornering him.

"Help! Help me, please!" he called out as Sam and Shia finally found him.

"Where is it?" Shia asked.

"It's right there!" David said, pointing to what he saw as the reaper, but Sam and Shia only saw a fresh air.

"Alright, come on!" Sam said, dragging David away with him and Shia.

In the church, Roy was lowering his hand as always, ready to lay his healing touch on the waiting Layla.

"Fire! Hey, tent's on fire!" Dean's voice cut through the silence of the crowd, the words making everyone jump to their feet and scrambling to the exit. "Fire! Everybody, get out of here!"

"No! No, please! Please, don't stop!" Mrs Rourke called through the chaos. "Please! Reverend, please! Please! Please, don't stop! Please!"

Dean heard her words and wished to God he hadn't had to do that. If Roy had chosen anyone else today, he would have been fine. But not Layla. He had now condemned her to death.

Pushing his emotions aside as always, Dean pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing through to Shia as Roy called over the crowd.

"Friends, if you'd all just leave the tent in an orderly fashion, then we can figure out what's going on out there."

"I did it," Dean told Shia down the phone. "I stopped Roy."

"David, I think it's ok," Shia said to him. Breathing a sigh of relief, David nodded and turned his face away. But his relief was short lived as the reaper was now stood in front of him.

"No!" David called, scrambling back.

"Dean, it didn't work!" Shia told him. "The reaper's still coming!"

Sam and Shia watched David, unable to do anything as they couldn't see the reaper that approached him. All they saw was David falls to his knees, his face been quickly drained of it's color as the reaper placed his hand against his cheek.

"I'm telling you!" Shia called desperately down the phone. "I'm telling you, it must not have worked. Roy must not be controlling this thing!"

"Well, then who the hell is?" Dean said, his eyes scanning the church and finally falling on the culprit. Sue Ann stood in the corner with her back to him and muttering.

"Sue Ann," Dean breathed down the phone before hanging up, moving quickly to Sue Ann and spinning her to face him. Round her neck and clasped in her hand was necklace holding the cross from Sam had said was a large part of this.

Her muttering and casting interrupted, the Reaper backed away from David in the car park, his face quickly gaining it's colour back and gasping for air as his hand lost contact with his skin.

Inside the tent, Sue Ann quickly tucked the cross beneath her shirt.

"Help!" she called out. "Help me! Help!"

Hearing her cries, two sheriffs were immediately on the scene, dragging Dean away from Sue Ann and out of the tent with Sue Ann trailing behind them.

"I just don't understand. After everything we've done for you, after Roy healed you. We're very, very disappointed, Dean," Sue Ann said before turning to the sheriffs. "You can let him go, I'm not gonna press charges. The Lord will deal with him as he sees fit."

With that said, Sue Ann walked away, leaving Dean with the law.

"We catch you around here again, son, we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?" one of them said to Dean.

"Yes, sir. Fear of God. Got it," Dean said as the officers roughly let him go, walking away to reveal Layla now stood in front of him.

"Layla," Dean said almost desperately.

"Why would you do that, Dean?" she said to him. "When it could've been my only chance."

"He's not a healer," Dean said.

"He healed you," Layla countered.

"I know it doesn't seem fair. And I wish I could explain, but Roy is not the answer," Dean said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Goodbye, Dean," she replied simply. "I wish you luck. I really do."

"Same to you," Dean called after her retreating back. "You deserve it a lot more than me."

Walking back to the car to find Sam and Shia, Dean passed by Roy, Sue Ann and Mrs Rourke, overhearing their conversation.

"Private session tonight. No interruptions," Roy said. "I give you my word. I'll heal your daughter."

"Thank you, Reverend. God bless you," Mrs Rourke praised as Dean watched them carefully.

Back at their motel room, the group was going over the separate information they had found.

"So Roy really believes?" Sam questioned to Dean.

"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing," Dean answered.

"Well, we found this hidden in their library," Shia said, showing Dean the small book she still had. "It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper."

"Must be a hell of a spell," Dean said, flipping through the pages.

"Yeah," Shia said. "You've got to build a black altar, with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross the line like that, that preacher's wife. Black magic, murder. Evil."

"Desperate," Dean corrected. "Her husband was dying, she'd have done anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy."

"Cheating death. Literally," Sam said.

"Yeah, but Roy's alive, so why's she still using the spell?" Dean said.

"Right," Sam agreed. "To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral."

"May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work," Dean recited.

"We've gotta break that binding spell, Dean," Sam said. flipping through the pages, Dean stopped on one showing the cross Sue Ann had been wearing round her neck.

"You know, Sue Ann had a Coptic cross like this," Dean pointed out. "And when she dropped it, the reaper backed off."

"So, you think we've gotta find the cross or destroy the altar?" Shia asked.

"Maybe both," Dean answered. "Whatever we do, we better do it soon. Roy's healing Layla tonight."

Later that night, Sam, Dean and Shia pulled up outside the private session in Roy's church.

"That's Layla's car," Sam said, pointing to a car close by them. "She's already here."

"Yeah," Dean said, no emotion in his voice.

"Dean," Shia questioned.

"You know, if Roy would have picked Layla instead of me, she'd be healed right now," Dean said, finally getting out what he felt.

"Dean, please...don't," Shia said gently.

"And if she's not healed tonight, she's gonna die in a couple months," Dean continued.

"What's happening to her is horrible. But, what are you gonna do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself, Dean. You can't play God," Shia said, getting nothing from Dean. "I've said this once today, and I'm gonna say it again till you get it. I am not gonna be upset that you are alive Dean. And neither should you."

The response this time was a quick glance in the mirror, back at Shia, before Dean silently got out of the car and to the tent, Sam and Shia following.

"Gather round. Please, everyone, gather round. Come in closer. Come on up," Roy said as Layla walked up on to the stage.

"Where's Sue Ann?" Dean asked.

"House," Sam suggested.

Following Sam's intuition, he, Dean and Shia went to the house to find it dark and seemingly empty.

"Go find Sue Ann. I'll catch up," Dean said, looking round.

"What are you…?" Sam began, but didn't get an answer as Dean left their side to walk round the front of the house where the sheriffs from earlier today were.

"Hey," he called to them. "You gonna put that fear of God in me?"

Taking off round the side of the house, Dean was quickly persuade by the cops, leaving the way open for Sam and Shia to find a way into the house. And the easiest and only way inside they found was the cellar.

At the parking lot outside the tent, the sheriffs were still looking round for Dean, who was now eluding them.

"You see him?" one policeman asked.

"No," the other answered. Suddenly, the sound of a barking dog caught their attention, both turning to see a large dog barking up out of the window of a trailer.

"Psycho mutt," the first sheriff said, the pair walking away from the dog. If they had stopped to look, they would have seen that what the dog was barking at was actually Dean, who was hiding on top of the trailer.

In the cellar of the LeGrange house, Sam and Shia had the luck to come across exactly what they were looking for. Sue Ann's altar complete with crosses, blood bones, candles… and a picture of Dean from the security camera with a blood X across his face. The next victim?

"I gave him life, and I can take it away," Sue Ann's voice said from behind them. Sam and Shia turned to see her stood in the doorway above them. Sam didn't say a word, he just overturned the altar, tipping the contents and destroying it.

Sue Ann backed up, locking the cellar door with them inside and sliding a metal bar in the handles.

"Can't you see?" Sue Ann continued through the door. "The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked. And he deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It's God's will."

Sam and Shia simply chose to ignore her, trying the window as their exit.

"Goodbye," Sue Ann called as Sam used another bar from the floor to pry the window open.

At the church, Roy stood over Layla, Mrs Rourke at his side, and began to try to heal her.

"Mrs. Rourke, pray with me. Pray with me, friends," Roy said.

Out in the parking lot, the spell's magic began it's work. While Sue Ann stood outside the tent, looking in and muttering her spell, Dean watched with something between slight fear and acceptance as the reaper walked towards him, placing his hand on the side of Dean's face, the colour draining from his features as it had with David.

With each move that Roy and Layla made inside the tent, Dean and the reaper copied. As Roy guided Layla gently to her knees, Dean fell almost aggressively to his.

As Sue Ann stood muttering behind the tent, she didn't notice Sam and Shia walking up behind her, Shia turning her forcefully ripping the cross from her neck, shattering it on the floor.

Once the cross shattered, the spell was broken, the reaper taking his hand from Dean's face, allowing the colour to return to his features and the air to rush back into his lung with a large gasp. At the same time, inside the tent, Roy took his hand from Layla, his healing powers gone.

"I don't understand," Roy said.

"I don't feel different. Reverend?" Layla muttered softly.

"Sue Ann?" Roy called for his wife, getting no response from anything.

Outside the tent, his wife whimpered over her broken cross.

"My God! What have you done?!" Sue Ann cried.

"Sorry, honey, but he's not your God," Shia replied almost coldly. This woman did, after all, just try to kill her boyfriend after giving him back to her.

Sue Ann turned abruptly to come face to face with the grinning face of the reaper she had only moment ago been in control of.

She tried to back away, scramble towards Sam and Shia who simply stood watching, but the reaper was faster. He moved to her, placing his hand on her cheek and guiding her to the ground as the color drained from her face and the air left her lungs. Still, Sam and Shia watched, either unable of unwilling to do anything as she collapsed to the floor, twitching in pain before her hold on life gave in.

Leaving her lying where she was and getting out of there fast as they could, Sam and Shia found Dean already stood by the car, pretty much leaning against it after almost dying for a second time.

"Baby, are you okay?" Shia asked him.

"A little bit weak," Dean answered.

"Yeah. Alright, come on, we should get going," Sam, the three getting in the car and leaving.

The next morning they were all ready to leave, Sam was already packed and went to the main office to get them checked out. Shia and Dean was in the motel room getting packed, Dean looked over at Shia watching her as she packed. Shia felt him staring at him.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Shia said playfully. Dean smiled at her, she gave him a weak smile back.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked his girlfriend, he noticed that she avoided eye contact.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Shia said zipping her bag and walking over towards the door, Dean grabbed her arm causing her to stop; he grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him, he could see the tear stains on her beautiful face and one falling from her eyes. Dean leaned down and kissed the tear away.

"Baby, please, tell me what's wrong," Dean said looking in Shia's eyes, his green eyes meeting her dark brown eyes.

"I almost lost you back there, again. It hurts, that's all." Shia said barely above a whisper to Dean, he leaned in and gave his girlfriend a sweet kiss.

"You won't lose me anytime soon, Shia," Dean said after pulling away and giving her a hug, Shia smiled and lift her hand up to Dean's head and smacking him. "What the hell was that for?" Dean said rubbing his head.

"For flirting with Layla, for complaining about the nurses not being hot, and for that chick flick moment we just had," Shia said smiling widely at her boyfriend, she randomly used her powers and made her bag appear in her hands. Shia gave Dean a quick peck on the lips before walking out the door.

"One hell of a woman," Dean said watching his girlfriend walk out the door.


	13. The Benders

Miles away from a case, Shia and Dean sat at a booth while Sam went to the restroom.

"So, tell me about the two cases you had to work while I was with Bobby," Shia said grabbing one of her fries on the plate in front of her. Shia didn't understand why Dean has been quiet about the cases he's been working while she was away, maybe he had a bad experience with both of them, either that or he was hiding something.

"They weren't important, babe," Dean said pulling Shia close to him giving her a soft kiss on the lips. That was one thing, he was sort of clingy a little. Dean isn't that much of a clingy guy, but he's been all over Shia since she got back.

"Dean, seriously, tell me. You've been acting strange." Dean looked at his girlfriend and gave in.

"Okay, the first one I was helping an old friend and the second one had something to do with Sam and his visions...connected to some other kid like him. I don't know."

"See? Was that so hard?" Shia said giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. Sam came out of the restroom and sat in front of the couple.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Sam asked looking at a newspaper for a new case.

"We were just talking about the two cases you guys worked while I was away," Shia said with a gentle smile, she turned to Dean and noticed the guilt on his face when she brought up the last two cases. Sam looked at his brother with confusion and shock.

"You told her about Cassie?" Sam asked incredulously looking up from the newspaper. Dean looked horrified that Sam brought that up in front of his current girlfriend.

"Cassie? Your ex girlfriend Cassie?" Shia asked her boyfriend moving away from him a little, Dean was hurt by her actions but didn't let his face show it. Dean simply nodded as a reply not knowing what to say. Shia was usually the funny, cute jealous girl, but as of right now it was a whole different type of jealously thing. She remembered Dean calling her about this Cassie woman once, Shia wanted to kick her ass badly. And another thing that hurt her was Dean was in love with that woman, he only knew her for a month and was madly in love with her, but Dean has been with Shia for over six months and he never...not once told Shia he loved her. Shia couldn't take being around him so she got up and walked out to car and got in the backseat of the impala. Dean turned to Sam, Sam could tell his brother was a little upset.

"Thanks, Sam. Really. Now she's going to be pissed at me for a a while, why did you have to mention that?" Dean asked his brother looking from Sam's eyes to the impala, he couldn't see Shia because she was lying down in the backseat.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I thought you told her, you should have. Knowing women, she probably thinks something happened between the two of you." Dean looked from the impala and looked at Sam. "Wait, something did happen?" Dean nodded as a response. Sam blood was boiling, he was hoping his brother did not cheat on his best friend with some girl he didn't date for longer than a month. Dean's not that stupid, is he?

"Sam-" Dean began to say, but Sam didn't want him to finish his sentence.

"You had sex with Cassie?" Sam asked, he was really hoping his brother didn't sleep with her.

"What? No, of course not. I'm not stupid. We kissed, but I stopped it before it got any further. I told Cassie about Shia, and how I'm in love with her." Dean said. Sam looked at his brother with wide eyes, did he just say he was in love with Shia.

"You love Shia?"

"Of course I do, you know that."

"Have you ever told her?" Sam asked his big brother.

"No, never got the chance to. When I tell her, I want it to be special, you know?" Sam looked at Dean, he couldn't believe how romantic his brother was being.

"Dude, who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"Shut up, what do you have on a case?"  
Sam toss a newspaper in front of his brother, Dean read over it and nodded slowly. "Okay, lets go."

The were on the road now, Sam was napping. The only two up were the loving couple, Shia and Dean. Dean couldn't help but glance at his girlfriend sitting in the back, he could see the light tear stains, seeing her this way killed him. He hated breaking his girlfriend's heart.

"Is Sam really napping? Hmm, that's weird. Should we wake him?" Shia asked from her seat in the back of the impala. Dean shook his head, he saw this as a great time to talk to his girlfriend.

"You know nothing serious happened between me and Cassie? I could never hurt you like that," Dean said trying to look at his girlfriend and the road at the same time.

"Yeah. Nothing happened. Whatever."

"What? You don't believe me?"

"It's not that, Dean."

"Then what the hell is it?" Dean asked, he didn't mean to sound as harsh as he did.

"I know how you are. I know how you want to be with other girls sometimes. I mean-"

"Whoa, I never want to be with other girls. It's all about you, and you know that."

"Do I really?" Shia asked with her eyes tearing up, she looked away from him. She couldn't understand how this got out of hand, and hurt her twice as much as it did earlier. She was over thinking, maybe. She loved Dean, she always have, but she wanted to know did he love her as much as she love him. Dean stayed silent, he looked forward on the road. With the conversation done, he couldn't help but think how he could fix this before it gets any worse.

With the moon out, and sky dark, the trio decided to call it the night by getting a motel room. Dean and Shia didn't cuddle or touched in any way, she stayed on her side and he stayed on his. Dean wanted to press up against her and whisper sweet things in her ear and tell her how much he loved her. With the thought of Shia, he fell asleep.

Next morning and the boy they were interviewing is having to relive the event again, telling them to a trio of state police, his mother present. Only these are three very unique officers who go by the names of Sam, Dean and Shia.

"I know you're just doing your job," his mother, Mrs McKay told the officers. "But the police have been here all week already. I don't see why we have to go through this again. The more he tells the story, the more he believes it's true."

"Mrs. McKay, we know you spoke with the local authorities," Sam began.

"But, uh, this seems like a matter for the state police, so…." Dean continued, trailing off.

"Don't worry about how crazy it sounds, Evan," Shia concluded sweetly for the two boys. "You just tell us what you saw."

"I was up late," Evan began to retell. "Watching TV, when I heard this weird noise."

"What did it sound like, sweetie?" Shia asked.

"It sounded like… a monster," Evan told her, Sam, Dean and Shia exchanging a look at this.

"Tell the officers what you were watching on TV," Mrs McKay told her son, showing how much she didn't believe his story of event.

"Godzilla Vs. Mothra," Evan shyly told the three, even if that did make Dean smile.

"That's my favorite Godzilla movie," Dean said, lowering himself to the level as a child as usual. "It's so much better than the original, huh?"

"Totally," Evan agreed with a wide smile.

"Yeah," Dean said, nodding towards Sam. "He likes the remake."

"Yuck!" Evan said, agreeing with Dean again. Sam glared at Dean, clearing his throat to get him to shut up.

"Evan, did you see what this thing was?" Sam asked, bringing the tone back to a professional level.

"No. But I saw it grab Mr. Jenkins," Evan said. "It pulled him underneath the car."

"Then what?" Sam asked.

"It took him away," Evan told them. "I heard the monster leaving. It made this really scary sound."

"What did it sound like, Evan?" Shia asked him.

"Like this… whining growl," Evan answered, Sam, Dean and Shia again exchanging a look, considered the possibilities of just what this could be this time.

"Thanks for your time, honey," Shia finished with a smile, concluding their time at the McKay's household.

Walking their way towards the car, Dean wrapped his arm around Shia's waist pulling her close. Shia didn't want Dean to touch her right now, so she simply shrugged him off and walked faster to the impala. Dean watched her walk away, sighing deeply he walked towards the car with his girlfriend not under his arms.

Thinking over what they had been told today and things that they already knew from searching this case, Sam, Dean and Shia made their way to the nearest bar. Sam, the typical bookworm, was sat at the table with research in front of him. Shia was sat at the table as well, only she had a beer in front of her. Dean was stood near by, practicing his aim with the dartboard.

"So, local police have now ruled out foul play," Shia said, looking over Sam's shoulder at the research. "Apparently, there are worse signs of a struggle."

"Well, they could be right, it could just be a kidnapping," Dean said. "Maybe this isn't our kind of gig.

"Yeah, maybe not. Except for this, Dad marked the area," Sam said, gaining Dean's full attention as he came over to the table to look in their father's journal. "Possible hunting grounds of a phantom attacker."

"Why would he even do that?" Dean questioned.

"Well, he found a lot of local folklore about a dark figure that comes out at night," Sam summarised. "Grabs people, then vanishes. He found this too. This county has more missing persons per capita than anywhere else in the state."

"That is weird," Dean said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed.

"Don't phantom attackers usually snatch people from their beds?" Shia said, punching small holes in that theory. "Jenkins was taken from a parking lot."

"Well, there are all kinds," Sam said, attempting to sew those holes back up. "You know, Springhill Jacks, phantom gassers. They take people anywhere, anytime. Look, I don't know if this is our kind of gig either."

"Yeah, you're right, we should ask around more tomorrow," Dean said.

"Right," Sam said, reaching for his wallet. "I saw a motel about five miles back."

"Whoa, whoa, easy," Dean said. "Let's have another round."

"We should get an early start," Sam told him.

"Yeah, you really know how to have fun, don't you, Grandma?" Dean said, Sam's only reply a small smile. "Alright, I'll meet you outside, I gotta take a leak."

Dean grabbed his coat, heading to the bathroom, while Sam gathered up all his research. He turned to Shia, his eyes asking if she was coming with him or not.

"Don't look at me," Shia said, picking up her beer bottle. "I really want to finish my drink."

Sam laughed slightly as she took a swig, clearly determined on staying until that bottle was drained. Dean made his way out of the bathroom, not far from him, he see his girl finishing her drink and grabbing her jacket. With a slight pep talk in his head, Dean walked over to her and gave her a look. It's strange how even today she gave him butterflies.

"Hey," Dean said softly approaching Shia.

"Hey," Shia said glancing up at Dean and walking by him to get the door, Dean grabbed her arm causing her to stop.

"We're gonna have to talk about this," Dean told Shia. Shia looked at him and scoffed with a hint of disgust.

"Now, you care about the relationship enough to want to save it. Please."

"Our relationship is in Jeopardy? Since when?" Dean asked, he'll never admit it but his heart was breaking to where this relationship was going.

"The night you cheated on me with Cassie," Shia said folding her arms, in a way she feels like she's over reacting. Dean leaned closer to her, grazing his lips over hers. Shia rolled her eyes and softly shoved Dean away. "A kiss won't save you this time, Dean."

"Damn it, Shia. I didn't cheat on you. Me and Cassie kissed, I stopped it before it went anywhere. Damn it. Don't you know I would never hurt you like that, I couldn't do that. I care about what we have too much," Dean told his girlfriend hoping that would fix some of this. Shia slowly nodded and gave him a small smile.

"You can show me you're sorry by going over there and paying for my drink, I'll be outside with Sam," Shia said walking out the door making her way to Sam.

Sam made his way over to the car, more prepared to wait for those two in the warmth rather than in the cold night air. But he was only within a couple of feet of inches of the car when he heard a noise that got his attention.

Placing the journal with the extra research onto the hood of the car, Sam took a flashlight from his coat pocket, using it to look around. Bending beneath the car to get a full view, Sam was knocked back from it as something flew at him, hissing. Frantically reaching for his flashlight, Sam turned it on his assailant to find….

A cat.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Sam set himself straight, from behind him he heard Shia laughing.

"You're scared of cats now, Sam?" Shia asked with amusement in her voice.

"God, don't do that. I thought you were going to come out with Dean." Sam said.

"I made your brother pay for my drink." Sam nodded at Shia and she smiled softly at him.

What they were not aware of was whatever was still under that car, watching them.

Not too long later, Dean left the bar, waiting to meet Sam and Shia outside. Only they weren't there. The journal and research was on the hood, but no Sam and Shia, not even inside the car.

Dean searched around, looking by the other cars, back in the bar, even in the bushes nearby. And with each minute hey didn't find them, he was becoming more and more frantic.

The first people to come in contact with the frantic Dean was a biker and his girlfriend from within the bar, clearly drunk. But Dean was in front of them in a flash.

"Hey, you guys been outside, around here in the last hour or so?" Dean asked them. All he got was a shake of the head as they walked away.

"Sam! Shia!" Dean called out, frantically looking round.

"Sammy!" Dean called out, even more frantic. Looking round, Dean's eyes fell on the surveillance camera on the road, elbowing Dean to get his attention, surely that have to have caught something.

"Sam! Shia! Babe! Sammy!" Dean called one last time, wandering onto the abandoned road.

Doing what any normal person would do, even if they weren't that. Dean made his way to the police station the next morning to report Sam and Shia missing. Only unlike most people, Dean hadn't gone in as himself. That would have got him immediately arrested, missing persons case or not. Instead, he had gone with his trusty fake ID's.

"So," Kathleen, the young deputy, said as she came back out to Dean. "What can we do for you, Officer Washington?"

"I'm working a missing persons," Dean, answered.

"I didn't know the Jenkins case was being covered by the state police," Kathleen said, spieling off the only ongoing missing persons case she knew of.

"Oh, no," Dean said. "No, there's someone else. Actually, it's my cousin and his girlfriend. We were havin' a few last night at this bar down by the highway. And I haven't seen him since."

"Does your cousin and his girlfriend have a drinking problem?" Kathleen asked, going with the obvious police questions.

"Sam? Two beers and he's doin' karaoke, and Shia was drinking but she's not a drunk. If she did get drunk something was wrong, she sometimes drink her problems away. Last night wasn't the case though," Dean said, getting a small smile from Kathleen. "No, they weren't drunk. They was taken."

Kathleen nodding, getting to business and sitting in front of her computer, Dean taking the seats in front of her.

"Alright. What are their names?" Kathleen asked.

"Winchester. Sam Winchester and Shia Colten," Dean answered.

"Like the rifle?" Kathleen asked.

"Like the rifle," Dean told her, having heard that asked enough times. Kathleen went to work, typing Sam's name into the search engine and bringing up his rather extensive file and police record. She looked over the page, seeing a link at the bottom to one sibling, brother Dean Winchester. One click and she had his rather more extensive police file.

"Samuel Winchester," Kathleen read off his full title. "So, you know that his brother, Dean Winchester, died in St. Louis. And, uh, was suspected of murder."

"Yeah, Dean," Dean said. "Kind of the black sheep of the family. Handsome, though."

"Uh-huh," Kathleen said, face down and back to Dean. "Well, he's not showing up in any current field reports."

"Shia Colten," Kathleen said typing in Dean's girlfriend name. "She wasn't even in the system until she was fourteen, it was like she wasn't even born until she was fourteen. That's a little weird. Anyways, she had a legal guardian before she turned eighteen. Uh, Robert Singer."

"Yeah, she loves that man like it was her birth father," Dean said with a small smile thinking about the relationship between his girlfriend and her father.

"Well, they're not showing up in the local system. Sorry."

"Oh, I already have a lead," Dean told her. "I saw a surveillance camera by the highway."

"Uh-huh. The county traffic cam?" Kathleen said.

"Right," Dean answered. "Yeah. I'm thinking the camera picked up whatever took them. Or, whoever."

"Well, I have access to the traffic cam footage down at the county works department, but… well, anyhow, let's do this the right way," Kathleen said, taking a bunch of sheets of paperwork from the top drawer of a filing cabinet and handing them to Dean, along with a clipboard. "Why don't you fill out a missing persons report and sit tight over here?"

"Officer," Dean said, pushing the paperwork aside. "Look, uh, he's family. I kind of… I kind of look out for the kid. And, I look out for the chick too. It's my job. You gotta let me go with you."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Kathleen told them.

"Well, tell me something," Dean asked her. "Your county has its fair share of missing persons. Any of 'em come back?"

Kathleen's silence and the melancholy look on her face was enough of an answer for the pair.

"Sam and Shia are my responsibility," Dean said into the silence. "And they are comin' back. I'm bringin' them back."

And Dean simply waiting as Kathleen stared him out. Waiting to see just what she would do.

Sat outside the County Works Department, Dean was waiting for a Kathleen who had eventually made up her mind. She was helping them, though what the reason was Dean wasn't too sure right now. For now, he were just glad that she was helping. The quicker he got this sorted out, the quicker he would get Sam and Shia back.

"Greg," Dean heard Kathleen's voice from behind him call out his fake name. Standing to great her, he saw that she was holding a number of printouts. "I think we've got something. These traffic cams take an image every three seconds, as part of the Amber Alert program. These images were all taken around the time that your cousin, Sam, and his 'girlfriend' Shia, disappeared."

"This really isn't what I'm looking for," Dean said as he flicked through picture after picture of what looked like a typical highway.

"Just wait, wait, next one," Kathleen told them. Dean turned the next page to see an image of a rusted up truck. "This one was taken right after Sam left the bar and before Shia came out moments later. Look at the back end of that thing. Now, look at the plates."

Dean did just that, turning the page to see a close up of the truck's license plate, and he did not match the truck at all.

"Oh, the plates look new," Dean noticed. "It's probably stolen."

"So, whoever's driving that rust bucket must be involved," Kathleen deduced. Just then, a beat up van, quite similar but not quite to the pictures he had in front of him. The engine, backfiring and in desperate need of a tuning, whined loudly as it drove by.

"Hear that engine?" Dean said.

"Yeah," Kathleen answered.

"Kind of a whining growl, isn't it?" Dean said, thinking back to their conversation with young Evan.

"Sure," Kathleen agreed. Dean watched the beat up van as it drove away.

"I'll be damned," Dean both muttered below his breaths.

Back at the prison barn where Sam and Shia was being held, within the prison cage, Sam was desperately trying to kick down the door trapping him and his best friend. But at this rate, it seemed that he was more likely to break his foot before he broke down the door.

The banging and clanging reverberating round the empty room, the noise woke Jenkins, who sat with a groan. Hearing their trapped partner awake, Sam and Shia moved over to the bars on his side.

"You're alive," Sam said to him, merely getting another groan in response. "Hey, you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm doin' okay?" Jenkins muttered sarcastically.

"Where the hell are we?" Shia asked.

"I don't know. The country, I think. Smells like the country," Jenkins responded.

"You're Alvin Jenkins, aren't you?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah," he replied.

"We were lookin' for ya," Sam said with a sigh, glancing back at Shia.

"Oh, yeah?" Jenkins questioned.

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Well, no offense, but this is a piss-poor rescue," Jenkins told him. Shia sighed, she thought this guy was a little rude.

"Smart ass," Shia mumbled under her breath, but Sam heard what she said. Sam smiled at his friend comment because he was thinking the same thing.

"Well, my brother is out there right now," Sam said. "He's lookin' for us. So…."

"So, he's not gonna find us. We're in the middle of nowhere," Jenkins said, nodding towards a door that lead out into another building. "Waiting for them to come back and do God-knows-what to us."

"What are they?" Sam asked eagerly. "Have you seen them?"

"What are you talking about?" Jenkins said.

"Whatever's got us, what'd they look like?" Shia repeated for Sam.

"See for yourself," Jenkins said as the sound of the opening door echoed through the barn.

Two men wearing black coats that covered their heads walked in, one heading to Jenkins' cage and kicking the bars, causing him to back up a bit. The second man moved over to a panel on the wall, inserting a key and turning it. This unlocked the door to Jenkin's cage and the two men stepped just inside it.

"Leave me alone!" Jenkins yelled at the two. "Don't you take me, leave me alone!"

But they didn't want to take him. Instead, they simply placed a plate of food in front of him, leaving the cage and going over to the panel to lock it again. They left the barn without saying a word, Sam watching them while Jenkins greedily dug into his food.

"I'll be damned," Shia muttered softly to herself.

"They're just people." Sam said to his best friend who was standing beside him.

"Yeah. What'd you expect?" Jenkins said between mouthfuls.

"How often do they feed you?" Shia asked, getting back on topic.

"Once a day. And they use that thing over there to open the cage," Jenkins said, pointing to the panel the men had used.

"And that's the only time you see 'em?" Sam asked.

"So far. But I'm waitin'," Jenkins told him.

"Waiting for what?" Shia asked.

"Ned Beatty time, baby," Jenkins said simply. Shia grimaced softly at the old man giving her the nickname 'baby'.

"I think that's the least of your worries right now," Sam said.

"Oh, yeah?" Jenkins questioned.

"Yeah," Sam repeated.

"What do you think they want, then?" Jenkins asked. For a moment, Sam didn't answer. He was more interested in finding a way out, and right now he was working on a metal wire stretching over his and Shia cage, pulling at it and simply hoping for the best.

"Depends on who they are," Shia answered for Sam.

"They're a bunch of psycho hillbilly rednecks, if you ask me," Jenkins said. "Lookin' for love in all the wrong places."

Sam and Shia said nothing to that. Sam just continued to pull at the wire, slowly starting to detach it from the pole it was attached to. Shia watched Sam as she did so, the only thing was on her mind was her boyfriend and how she missed him terribly.

Making only a small amount of headway on his case to find Sam and Shia, Dean was now driving round in the squad car with Kathleen, using the traffic camera pictures to follow where the rusty old van had gone too.

"Okay, the next traffic cam is fifty miles from here," Kathleen told them as they passed yet another camera. "And the pickup didn't pass that one, so…."

"So, it must've pulled off somewhere," Dean finished for her. "I didn't see any other roads here."

"Well, a lot of these backwoods properties have their own private roads," Kathleen told them.

"Great," Dean muttered, turning to stare at the passing scenery to hope to catch a glimpse of this little back road, even in the pitch dark. A beep from the computer told them it had new information, catching Kathleen's attention but not Dean's. She clicked the screen, bringing up a page with information that Kathleen had been expecting, but not really wanting.

"So, Gregory," Kathleen said to Dean, causing him to look over at her.

"Yeah?" Dean said.

"I ran your badge number," Kathleen told him. "It's routine when we're working a case with state police. For accounting purposes and what have you."

"Mmhmm," Dean mumbled, dread starting to set in at just what she might have found.

"And, uh, it just got back to me," Kathleen said, pulling the car to a stop on the side of the road. "It says here your badge was stolen. And there is picture of you."

Kathleen turned the computer screen for Dean to more easily see, showing him the pictures of himself. Only these pictures looked nothing like the person she was driving with.

Officer Gregory Washington was a heavy set African American man.

"I lost some weight," Dean tried to talk his way out. "And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease."

"Okay, would you step out of the car, please?" Kathleen told the young man, taking off her seatbelt and beginning to get out herself.

"Look, look, look," Dean began, stopping her in her tracks. "If you wanna arrest me, that's fine. I'll cooperate, I swear. But, first, please… let me find Sam and my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend?" Kathleen asked wide eyed.

"Yes, my girlfriend." Dean replied.

"I suspected that, the way you talked about her."

"Please, let me help..." Dean begged.

"I don't even know who you are," Kathleen argued back. "Or if this Sam person and Shia girl is really missing."

"Look into my eyes and tell me if I'm lying about this," Dean said sincerely.

"Identity theft?" Kathleen questioned Dean. "You're impersonating an officer."

"Look, here's the thing," Dean began. "When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then, I've felt responsible for him. Like it's my job to keep him safe. I'm just afraid if we don't find him fast… please. He's my family. And Shia is like my family too."

"I'm sorry. You've given me no choice," Kathleen told them in true police officer style. "I have to take you in."

Kathleen looked up, glancing at her visor, and her eyes caught sight of the picture she always carried there. A picture of her an another young man, both smiling and happy. A picture of a man she had not seen in years, and probably never would again.

"After we find Sam Winchester and Shia Colten," Kathleen said, sitting back in her seat and fastening her seatbelt again. Dean looked at Kathleen, confused. Again, he wasn't too sure and why this woman was helping him, but again, it didn't matter as long as it got him closer to Sam and Shia.

Where Sam and Shia actually were, Sam was still trying to free him and Shia, still pulling at the metal wire fastened above their cage.

"What's your name, again?" Jenkins asked as he watched him.

"It's Sam," Sam answered distractedly.

"And yours sweetheart?" Jenkins asked Shia.

"It's Shia, not sweetheart," Shia told the older man.

"Well, baby girl, why don't you tell your boyfriend, Sammy, here to give up," he told her. " There's no way out."

"Don't… call me… Sammy!" Sam said between grunts, his work finally paying off as with one final tug the wire pulled lose, a small metal item falling between the bars and into the cage by Sam's feet.

The door, however, did not open.

"What is it?" Jenkins asked, noticing Sam picking up and examining the piece of metal.

"It's a bracket," Sam answered.

"Well, thank God, a bracket. Now we've got 'em, huh?" Jenkins joked.

"Don't be such a dick!" Shia told Jenkins, he was really starting to work her nerves.

Just then, the door to Jenkins' cage unlocked, eerily swinging open all by itself.

"Must've been short," Jenkins said, climbing from his cage. "Maybe you knocked somethin' loose."

"I think you should get back in there, Jenkins," Sam said, not liking this situation at all.

"What?" Jenkins asked, thinking the boy was nuts. There was no way he was climbing back in that cage now he was free.

"This isn't right," Shia told him.

"Don't you two wanna get out of here?" Jenkins asked.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "But that was too easy."

"He's right," Shia agreeing with Sam.

"Look, I'm gonna get out of here, and I'm gonna send help, okay," Jenkins told them. "Don't worry."

"No, I'm serious," Sam continued to try. "Jenkins, this might be a trap."

"Bye, Sammy. And bye, beautiful," Jenkins called back as he strode out of the barn.

"Jenkins!" Sam called after him, but to no avail. Jenkins was inside a room very similar to the one he had just left, trying to find a way out.

Inside the room Sam and Shia was still trapped in, the door to Jenkins' cage slammed shut with a resounding metal clunk.

"Sam, remind me when we get out here to use my powers a lot more often," Shia said to her friend, she started to shiver because it was a little cold in the barn. Sam looked at her trying to warm herself up, he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her trying to keep her warm.

Daylight hours, early morning, Dean and Kathleen try to revive themselves for the day ahead with a fix of Starbucks caffine.

"Hey, Officer?" Dean questioned Kathleen. "Look, I don't mean to press my luck."

"Your luck is so pressed," Kathleen interrupted.

"Right," Dean mumbled. "I was wondering… why are you helping us out, anyway? Why don't you just lock us up?"

"My brother, Riley, disappeared three years ago," Kathleen told them solemnly. "A lot like Sam. We searched for him, but… nothing. I know what it's like to feel responsible for someone, and for them….and as for your girlfriend. I know what's it like to be away from someone you're in love with for a certain amount of time. I use to date a guy in the army. Come on. Let's keep at it."

And Kathleen left it at that, expecting no more questions, only getting in the car and wanting Dean to follow her.

At least he now knew why Kathleen had always been so willing to help him.

Dean and Kathleen had been driving down that fifty miles stretched of road between traffic cameras for ages, and had yet to see anywhere where Sam and Shia may be hidden.

That was until the something that caught Dean's eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait, pull over here. Pull over," Dean told Kathleen and she did, the three getting out of the car and looking at the stretch of forest Dean had stopped them by. The stretched with a hidden turn-off. "It's the first turn-off I've seen so far."

"You stay here, I'll check it out," Kathleen told the pair.

"No way," Dean said.

"Hey," Kathleen continued. "You're a civilian. And a felon, I think. I'm not taking you with me."

"You're not goin' without me," Dean told her.

"Alright," Kathleen said with a sigh. "You promise you won't get involved? You'll let me handle it?"

"Yeah, promise," Dean told her, not holding eyes contact.

"Shake on it," Kathleen said, holding out her hand with Dean took. Moving quicker than Dean, Kathleen clasped an open handcuff around Dean's wrist.

"Oh, come on," Dean groaned as Kathleen moved him by the cuffs, keeping hold of him for a second as she linked the cuffs between the handle of the car.

"This is ridiculous," Dean called out to Kathleen as she walked away from them. "Kathleen, I really think you're gonna need my help.

"I'll manage. Thank you," Kathleen said, clicking the lock button as she walked off down the trial.

"I gotta start carrying paper clips," Dean said once he was alone.

Inside the barn, the cage that had once been occupied by Jenkins was now Kathleen's home, coming out of unconsciousness with a groan, massaging her sore head.

"You alright?" Kathleen heard a male voice answer, looking up at the occupant of the cage opposite her.

"Are you Sam Winchester?" she asked, ignoring his question then she saw another figure beside the young man. "And Shia Colten?"

"Yeah," Sam answered for the both of them.

"Your, uh, your cousin is looking for you guys," Kathleen told him.

"Thank God," Shia said, clinging to her new ray of hope. "Where is he?"

"I, uh… I cuffed him to my car," Kathleen admitted, Sam and Shia sighing.

The creak of the door opening captured Sam, Shia, and Kathleen's attention, watching as a set of jean clad legs headed towards their cage. It wasn't until he was stood practically in front of the two cages when Sam, Shia, and Kathleen could see Dean's face.

"Sam? Shia?" Dean said as he saw them, kneeling in front of the cage as Sam smiled. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Sam answered.

"What about you, baby? Are you good?" Dean asked turning his attention to his girlfriend.

"I'm fine, babe," Shia said giving her boyfriend a smile.

"Damn, it's good to see you two," Dean said with his own smile.

"How did you get out of the cuffs?" Kathleen asked Dean, knocking his attention to her.

"Oh, I know a trick or two," Dean said, getting a confused look from Kathleen.

"Alright," Dean said, moving to take a closer look at the locks holding Sam and Shia in. "Oh, these locks look like they're gonna be a bitch."

"Well, there's some kind of automatic control right there," Shia said, pointing to the control panel on the wall she had already seen them using.

"Have you seen 'em?" Dean asked his brother and girlfriend.

"Yeah," Sam answered. "Dude, they're just people."

"And they jumped you? Shia, I understand a little, but you? Must be gettin' a little rusty there, kiddo," Dean joked as he looked over the control panel.

"What do they want?" Dean asked.

"We don't know," Sam answered. "They let Jenkins go, but that was some sort of trap. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Well, that's the point," Dean told him. "You know, with our usual playmates, there's rules, there's patterns. But with people, they're just crazy."

"See anything else out there?" Sam asked.

"Uh, he has about a dozen junked cars hidden out back," Dean said. "Plates from all over, so I'm thinkin' when they take someone, they take their car, too."

"Did you see a black Mustang out there?" Kathleen suddenly jumped into the conversation. "About ten years old?"

"Yeah, actually, I did," Dean said, Kathleen's expression turning somber again. "Your brother's?" Dean asked, and Kathleen nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Let's get you guys out of here, then we'll take care of those bastards," Dean said, getting back to point. "This thing takes a key. Key?"

"I don't know," Sam told them.

"Alright, I better go find it," Dean said, turning to leave.

"Hey," Sam said, pulling Dean attention long enough for him to turn to him. "Be careful."

"Yeah," Dean said walking towards the door.

"Wait, Dean," Shia spoke up, Dean turned to look at his girlfriend.

"Yeah, babe?"

"Come back to me in one piece."

"Oh you know I will," Dean said leaving the barn.

Crazy events were happening today. Dean got suck in the house and Shia had to come to his rescue.

"My family is gonna kill that pretty lady with the wavy dark hair. She looks like a screamer," The little girl said with a demonic l, evil giggle.

"If your 'family' touch my girl, I'll kill you all! I will kill you!" Dean shouted at the girl. The little girl reached over and cut Dean with the blade she had in her hand.

"Get your hands off my boyfriend," Shia called out to the little girl, she waved her hands causing the blade to get pulled away from the little girl by her powers. Shia's eyes went to a blazing blue, white color as the closet door opened and the girl was pushed back in the closet, the door closing and locking by itself. Shia turned to her boyfriend and smiled.

"Babe. Your eyes..." Dean said.

"Oh, sorry," Shia said before turning her eyes back to a normal.

"You used your powers, I thought you wanted to be normal."

"Well, I'm not normal. So, I guess I'll use them more. Anyways, we have bigger problems."

"What?" Dean said as Shia untied him.

"You got your ass kicked by a five year old," Shia said with a small giggle. Dean stood up to face Shia, and gave her a smile.

"She wasn't five, she was like twelve."

"Still, she kicked your ass," Shia said walking out the door.

Outside the house, Sam, Dean and Shia were finally reunited again, the ordeal pretty much over as they stumbled out into the night. Walking down the porch steps, they met up with Kathleen, who was walking from the barn.

"Where's the girl?" Kathleen asked, her police mind kicking in as she was the only one unaccounted for.

"Locked her in a closet," Shia answered. "What about the old guy?"

"Shot," Kathleen answered after a small pause. "Trying to escape."

Sam, Dean and Shia said nothing to that. There was nothing to say, they knew the truth. And they also knew exactly what each of them would have done if they were in her situation.

"I think the car's at the police station," Dean mumbled to the other two as Kathleen listened in on her walkie-talkie, having to call in this incident.

"Backup unit en route to your location," the female voice over the radio spoke to Kathleen as she approached Sam, Dean and Shia.

"So, state police and the FBI are gonna be here within the hour. They're gonna wanna talk to you," Kathleen told them. "I suggest that you're both long gone by then."

"Thanks," Dean said. "Hey, listen, I don't mean to press our luck, but we're kind of in the middle of nowhere. Think we could catch a ride?"

"Start walking," Kathleen said. "Duck if you see a squad car."

"Sounds great to me. Thanks," Sam said to her.

"Listen, uh… I'm sorry about your brother," Dean said sincerely.

"Thank you," Kathleen said, beginning to tear up slightly thinking about all this. "It was really hard not knowing what happened to him. I thought it would be easier once I knew the truth… but it isn't really. Anyway, you should go."

Sam, Dean and Shia did just that, nodding in acknowledge to the cop as they walked away, Kathleen watching them leave. A few steps down the road, Shia moved closer to Dean, wrapping her arms round him as they walked.

"Never do that again," Dean told them.

"Do what?" Sam asked.

"Go missin' like that," Dean said, making Sam and Shia laugh.

"You were worried about us," Sam said to his brother.

"All I'm sayin' is, you two vanish like that again, I'm not lookin' for ya," Dean told his brother.

"Sure, you won't," Shia said sarcastically, trying to hide her laughter.

"I'm not," Dean clarififed.

"So, you got sidelined by a thirteen-year-old girl, huh?" Sam said to Dean and Shia burst out in laughter.

"Oh, shut up," Dean muttered.

"Just sayin'," Sam said, no longer able to contain that smirk. "Gettin' rusty there, kiddo."

"Shut up," Dean said again.

And the three, now together again, made their way slowly to the car miles away, ready for whatever might come at them next, just so long as they were together.

On the road everything was silent, Sam was asleep in the backseat. Shia was in the front with Dean looking out the window, and Dean was driving. Dean slowly reached over and grabbed Shia's hand intertwining their fingers. Shia looked over at him and smile.

"You know, I'm still mad at you right?" Shia said giving Dean a smirk.

"I know, but I'm telling you...nothing happened."

"Then what did happen?" Shia asked.

Dean was in Cassie's home checking up on her, the started out with a talk but things got heated and Cassie reached over a kissed Dean for a second Dean kissed back, but after a few moments he softly pushed her back causing her to stop kissing him.

"Dean, what-" Cassie started to say, but Dean interrupted her.

"Cassie, I'm with someone. Okay? I can't do this. I love you, believe me. But not that way," Dean said truthfully. Cassie looked at Dean for a moment, she knew one girl that Dean could have been with that made him turn her down.

"It's that Shia girl, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"The one that threatened to kick my ass?" Cassie asked, Dean laughed softly and nodded.

"Yeah, to be honest, I don't think it was a threat." Dean told her. She smiled and walked back to her desk.

Shia listened to Dean's story, She didn't know what to say. Did Dean Winchester really turned down a girl for her? Maybe he really did want this to work.

"Dean, that was really sweet of you. Thank you for being faithful, I appreciate it. I'm sorry," Shia said to her boyfriend.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I was being a total bitch."

"No, you weren't. I have something to ask you though," Dean said to Shia turning to her for a second with a smile.

"What?"

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"I'd love to Dean," Shia said with a loving smile, she leaned over and a cuddle up next her boyfriend. Dean smiled softly at the girl under his arm.

He loves her.

_Sorry, guys. I didn't really edit this one well. I just continued to type in my google message system. I know, pathetic, huh? Well, I love reviews. So, please, try your best to review. Do you like the story? Do you ship Dean and Shia? _


	14. Shadow

Sam, Dean and Shia have heard of a terrible incident and, seeing with their hunter minds, knew that what killed this woman wasn't human. Dressed in alarm system employee outfits and Dean carrying a toolbox, the trio headed towards Meredith's apartment.

"All right, this is the place," Sam told the other two.

"You know, I've gotta say Shia, Dad and me did just fine without these stupid costumes," Dean said, pulling at his jumpsuit. "I feel like a high school drama dork."

"What was that play that you did, Sammy?" Shia asked Sam with a small smile. "What was it… Our Town. Yeah, you were good, it was cute. You were such a little cutie."

"Look, you wanna pull this off or not?" Sam said ignoring Shia's comment.

"I'm just sayin'," Dean continued. "These outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?"

"Whose?" Sam asked.

"Ours. You think credit card fraud is easy?" Dean said, striding in front of the other two.

"You think credit card fraud is easy? Man, he has been in a swampy mood all week," Shia mimicked her boyfriend as she was walking with Sam out of ear shot from Dean.

"Yeah, I know. Is he alright?" Sam asked.

"Oh, he's fine. He's just having a bad day, I guess," Shia said with a small shrug.

Inside Meredith's apartment, Sam, Dean and Shia were let in by the landlady.

"Thanks for lettin' us look around,"

"Well, the police said they were done with the place, so…." she said, Sam and Shia following her into the main area of the apartment while Dean closed the door behind them. It was there he noticed the chain across the door, broken, before he followed into the living room to see blood spots covering the carpet. "You guys said you were with the alarm company?"

"That's right," Dean answered.

"Well, no offence, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man," the landlady said, Sam, Dean and Shia looking puzzled.

"Well, honey, that's why we're here," Shia continued after a moment. "To see what went wrong and stop it from happening again."

"Now, ma'am, you found the body?" Sam asked the landlady.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Right after it happened?" Sam asked.

"No. Few days later," the landlady told them. "Meredith's work called, she hadn't shown up. I knocked on the door. That's when I noticed the smell."

"Any windows open?" Dean asked. "Any sign of break-in?"

"No," the landlady answered. "Windows were locked, front door was bolted. Chain was on the door, we had to cut it just to get in."

"And the alarm was still on?" Shia asked more of a statement than a question.

"Like I said, bang-up job your company's doin'," the landlady quipped.

"Yep," Shia said, not in the mood to defend the compant she fictionally worked for. "Did you see any overturned furniture, broken glass, signs of struggle?"

"Everything was in perfect condition," the landlady said with a shake of her head. "Except Meredith."

"And what condition was Meredith in?" Sam asked.

"Meredith was all over. In pieces," the landlady answered. "The guy who killed her must have been some kind of a whackjob. But I tell you, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said a wild animal did it."

At the word 'animal' Dean looked over at Sam and Shia, really thinking this was right up their alley now.

"Ma'am, do you mind if we take some time?" Sam asked. "Give this place a once-over?"

"Oh, well, go right ahead. Knock yourself out," the landlady said, leaving them to their work. Once she was gone, Dean opened the toolbox and took out their kind of tools, an EMF meter.

"So," Shia began with a recap. "A killer walks in and out of the apartment, no weapons, no prints, nothing."

"I'm tellin' ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig," Sam said.

"I think I agree with you," Dean said as the EMF meter in his hands began beeping frantically seconds after he switched it on.

"So, babe, did you talk to the cops?" Shia asked Dean.

"Uh, yeah," Dean answered. "I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law."

"Yeah? What did you find out?" Shia asked him.

"Well, she's a Sagittarius. She loves tequila, I mean… wow. Oh, and she's got this little tattoo…." Dean began spieling off his list, he started to trail off when he say the look on his girlfriend's face. Shia gave him a death glare, I mean she is the cute, jealous girlfriend. Not too jealous, of course Dean knew that but he hated the glares she would give him...he knows what she is capable of...he never wants to really tick her off.

"You want to finish that sentence?" Shia asked Dean calmly, but her voice sounded threatening.

"No, not really." Dean said, Shia was still glaring at him, yet again telling him to stay on topic. "Yeah. Uh, nothin' we don't already know. Except for one thing they're keepin' out of the papers."

"Hm?" Sam asked.

"Meredith's heart was missing," Dean told them.

"Her heart?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah. Her heart," Dean repeated.

"So, what do you think did it to her?" Sam asked.

"Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack," Dean surmised. "Maybe it was… werewolf?

"No, no werewolf, the lunar cycle's not right," Shia shot that theory down. "Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace. It's probably a spirit." While Shia had been speaking bending over take a look at the blood spots on the carpet, Dean had only been half listening as he concentrated on Shia's ass and the blood spots on the carpet. He was trying to figure out something.

"Shia, see if you can find any masking tape around," Dean asked the woman beside him.

Once he had the masking tape in hand, Sam and Shia watched as Dean tore of pieces, arranging them against the spots of blood like a connect-the-dots puzzle. And the finished product was an unusual symbol.

"Ever see that symbol before?" Sam asked.

"Never," Dean said.

"This is one weird ass symbol, I haven't this before either," Shia added.

Later that night, Sam, Dean and Shia took their research to the local bar. Dean, as usual was the first there. And, as usual, he was also stood flirting with the barmaid. Sam and Shia entered the bar not to long after, Dean watching them sit at a table.

With a smile and a goodbye to the barmaid, Dean moved to sit with them, beside Shia, while Sam searched through the pages of the journal.

"I talked to the bartender," Dean announced.

"Did you get anything?" Shia asked. "Besides her number?"

"I'm a professional. I'm offended that you of all people would think that, babe," Dean told her. All Shia did was continue staring at him letting him know that her BS meter is running high. "All right, yeah." Dean slapped down the napkin in his hand, showing the barmaids number. Shia just knew that boy much too well.

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?" Sam said with a shake of his head.

"Huh?" Dean said, confused as always. "Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so…. What about that symbol, you find anything?"

"Nope, nothing," Sam said. "It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess."

"Well, there was a first victim, right?" Dean asked. "Before Meredith?"

"Right. Yeah," Sam said, pulling out a newspaper clipping of an obituary. "His name was, uh… his name was Ben Swardstrom. Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal, the door was locked, the alarm was on."

While Sam had been telling his story, Shia's hand had been sneakily reaching across the table, aiming for the napkin with the barmaid's number on it. And now was when Dean noticed, catching Shia's eyes as she grinned guilty at him. Dean just smiled back at her, taking the napkin before Shia could and ripping it up, a much bigger gesture to Shia them him stopping flirting. That was just who he was, Shia knew that. Hell, she flirted enough too. Shia's guilty smile turned softer and Dean leaned across the table, kissing her.

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" Dean asked, his eyes still on Shia.

"Not that I can tell," Shia answered. "I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds."

"So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number, and... well," Dean, said, motioning down to the ripped up pieces of napkin.

This time while Dean and Shia had been talking, Sam had been the one who had been somewhat distracted, his attention on something over the other side of the bar that, when looking round, Dean and Shia had no idea what it was.

"What?" Dean asked as Sam stood and walked away.

"Sam?" Shia called after him, but he carried on walking to the other side of the bar. And what was waiting for him over there was a blonde girl sat at a table. Tapping her on the shoulder, the girl turned round to reveal someone Sam hadn't seen for quite some time.

"Meg," he said, shocked.

"Sam! Is that you? Oh, my God!" Meg said, standing from her seat and hugging a still puzzled Sam. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just in town, visiting friends," Sam told her.

"Where are they?" Meg asked, looking around.

"Well, they're not here right now, but what about you, Meg? I thought you were goin' to California," Sam asked as Dean and Shia walked up behind him.

"Oh, I did," Meg said. "I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar."

"Who?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while."

Behind the two, Dean cleared his throat loudly, trying to get attention, but was ignored.

"You're from Chicago?"

"No, Massachusetts, Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?"

"Yeah, I know, I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong." Again, Dean cleared his throat for attention, this time louder. And this time he got it as Meg turned to him. "Dude, cover your mouth."

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg," Sam said, also only just realising Dean and Shia were behind him. "This is, uh… this is my brother, Dean, and his girlfriend, Shia."

"This is Dean? And Shia?" Meg said in surprise, when she turned to Shia see looked at her with disgust.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"So, you've heard of me?" Dean said with a smirk. Shia can sense Dean's ego boasting up, and she also feels like it's about to get shot down.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you," Meg said. "Nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage."

"Excuse me?" Shia asked, confused as to why this random girl is talking to her boyfriend like that.

"And you. Why don't you stop taking sides based on who you sleep with? It's not cute." Meg said to Shia in the rudest way anyone can say. Shia's heart broke for a second, she wondered why someone would she that. Shia thought that she was always neutral, but apparently she never is.

"What the hell?" Dean said under his breath.

"Why don't you two let him do what he wants to do?" Meg yelled at him. "Stop dragging him over God's green earth."

"Meg, it's all right," Sam tried to calm her down, leaving the four in a rather uncomfortable silence.

"Okay, awkward," Shia eventually said with a low whistle, her voice was shaking...it was clear that Meg hurt her feelings a little. "We're gonna get a drink now." Taking her boyfriend by the arm, Shia guided him away to the bar, his eyes still watching Sam with a puzzled look.

"Sam, I'm sorry," Meg said. "It's just… the way you told me they treat you... If it were me, I'd kill him."

"It's all right," Sam said. "They means well."

"Well, we should hook up while you're in town," Meg told him. "I'll show you a hell of a time."

"You know what, that sounds great. Why don't you, uh… why don't you give me your number?" Sam said, taking out his cell phone, putting in Meg's number as she gave it to him. "You know what, I never got your last name."

"Masters," Meg told him.

"Masters?" Sam questioned, to which Meg nodded.

"So, you better call," Meg said with a smile.

"Scout's Honor," Sam said.

"I hope to see you around, Sam," Meg said, to which Sam smiled and walked away.

Outside the bar, Sam was now stood with Dean and Shia again, lost in thought as they headed to the car. Tons of questions about Meg and the two times they that had 'accidentally' bumped into each other now were battling with each other for supremacy.

"Who the hell was she?" Dean's voiced broke into his mind.

"I don't really know. I only met her once," Sam said, still slightly distracted. "Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird.

"And what was she saying? We treat you like luggage?" Shia said angrily. "What, were you bitching about us to some girl?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Shia and Dean," Sam said, trying to nullify his brother and best friend. "It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen…."

"I wasn't even apart of the the damn fight! How dare you?! How dare you accuse me of taking sides based on who I sleep with?! Screw you!" Shia yelled at the younger Winchester, Dean took her hand and gave Shia a look to calm her down.

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying?" Dean said, really not letting this go. "I mean, are we keeping you against your will, Sam?"

"No, of course not," Sam answered. "Now, would you two listen?"

"What?" Shia said, anger still in her voice.

"I think there's somethin' strange going on here, guys," Sam said.

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me," Dean said. Shia nudged her elbow in Dean's ribs to shut him up about other women while she is not in the mood to deal with it.

"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange," Sam said, trying to get him on the professional topic. "Like, maybe even a lead." Shia's face softened all of the sudden finding interest in what Sam was saying.

"Why do you say that?" Shia said, working with Sam on this one.

"I met Meg weeks ago," Sam began to retell. "Literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

"I don't know, random coincidence," Shia suggested. "It happens."

"Yeah, it happens," Sam agreed. "But not to us. Look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on."

"Well, I bet you'd like to. I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" Dean said with a smirk. Sam just rolled his eyes with a small laugh. "Maybe you're thinkin' a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh?" As he pointed to his head, Sam and Shia just looked at him, Shia moving closer to touch his chest.

"It's a good thing you're hot," Shia told him.

"Do me a favor," Sam said, getting back on topic. "Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Shia asked.

"I'm gonna watch Meg," Sam told them simply.

"Yeah, you are," Dean said with another cheeky grin.

"I just wanna see what's what," Sam defended himself. "Better safe than sorry."

"All right, you little pervert," Dean quipped.

"Dude," Sam said to him.

"We're going, we're going," Shia said, linking her arm through Dean's and the pair of them heading across the round and to the motel.

Back in their motel room, Dean and Shia were sat at the table, laptop open in front of them and a number of different books and research papers around, all one the same thing. Looking for information about the symbol they had found in Meredith's apartment, and on Meg. And, despite not, having Sam, they had done pretty well. Which was why Shia was on her cell trying to contact Sam.

"Hey," Sam's voice answered.

"Let me guess," Shia said. "You're being a perv and lurking outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?"

"No," Sam said, even though right now he was in fact sat in the car in front of Meg's apartment, watching for anything strange. And Shia knew that, which was why she kept quiet, waiting for a different answer. "Yes."

"You've got a funny way of showing your affection. I'm going to have to teach you some more people skills," Shia laughed.

"Did you find anything on her or what?" Sam said defensively.

"Sorry, honey, she checks out," Shia told him. "There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo."

"Tell him to go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is he does," Dean interrupted her from behind her.

"You hear him?" Shia asked into the phone looking over her shoulder to see her boyfriend cheekily grinning.

"What about the symbol?" Sam asked Shia, ignoring Dean's comment. "Any luck?"

"Yeah, that I did have some luck with," Shia said, going back to her research. "It's, uh… turns out it's Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

"What's a Daeva?" Sam asked.

"It translates to 'demon of darkness'," Shia said. "Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes. Kind of like, uh, demonic pit bull doggys."

"How'd you figure that out?" Sam questioned with a smirk.

"Give me some credit," Shia said. "You don't have a corner on paper chasing around here."

"You, yeah, but Dean? Name the last book he read," Sam said. Shia turned to look at Dean beside her, who was sat with the same bored look he had had since they started their research.

"You're right. Honestly, I didn't even know your brother is capable of reading," Shia said with a small laugh. "No, we called your Dad's friend, Caleb. He told us."

"Yeah," Sam said, looking up at Meg's darkened bedroom window, still no movement.

"Anyway, here's the thing," Shia continued. "These Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured."

"So, someone's controlling it?" Sam surmised.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying," Shia said. "And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos."

"So, what do they look like?" Sam asked.

"Well, nobody knows, but nobody's seen 'em for a couple of millennia," Shia said. "I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a major player in town."

"Right," Sam said.

"Give me the phone," Dean said, reaching towards Shia for it.

"Don't you see me talking?" Shia replied, moving out of his reach.

"Shia…." Dean growled out, lunging for the phone this time. But Shia kept a tight hold of it, and Sam could only listen to the sounds of thuds and thumps on the other end as the two fought for the piece of equipment.

"Grow up for a second, Will you? Damn it, Dean, let go of the phone!" Shia screamed at him.

"You grow up, Shia, and just give me the damn phone!" Dean said, finally wrenching the phone from Shia's grip, giving her a smug look. Shia just thumped him hard as she could across the arm and sulked in her chair.

"Sam?" Dean said into the retrieved phone. "Now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?"

"Bite me," Sam snapped out at him.

"No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though…." Dean began, but Sam just hung up on him. "Sam? Are you…?" But Sam wasn't there. Dean hung up as well, turning to look at Shia with a somewhat apologetic smile, or his version of one, but Shia just sent him a death glare and turned away.

"Awe, come on, babe. I had to say it." Dean said walking over to his girlfriend, he pulled her out of her chair and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Go away, I'm mad at you," Shia pouted.

"Ah, you don't mean that," Dean said sending Shia a smirk, she shook her head at him. Dean leaned down and gave her soft kisses on her neck making her giggle. God, he loved the sound of her laugh. "You know since Sammy won't be back for a while, we should take a little break." Shia rolled her eyes at her cheeky boyfriend. She gave him a soft kiss, but everything turned passionate. They moved things to the bed, enjoying every passionate moment with each other.

Still sat outside Meg's apartment, Sam looked up just in time to see the lights switch on as Meg entered her bedroom, wearing nothing but a black lace bra. Sam looks just a little uncomfortable for a second, before the greater good of needing to know what she was up to won out and he went back to watching her as she put on a T-shirt.

The sound of someone clearing their throat inches away from him drew Sam's attention to his side window, where a young woman was staring in at him before gesturing up towards Meg's window.

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm just…." Sam began.

"Pervert," the woman spat out at him before walking angrily away from a stunned Sam. But his attention was drawn again by the sound of a door opening and Sam turned to see Meg, dressed in a sweatshirt and jacket now, walking across the street. She glanced at the parked car once, but Sam had ducked down out of view, sliding back up once she had gone, and stepping out of the car to follow her one foot.

He followed Meg until she stopped at a graffiti-covered wall, looking around for any prying eyes before pulling back part of the wall which seemed to turn into a door. Once she was inside, Sam did the same, peering round the building before following her through the wall.

Walking inside the building, Sam was far enough behind Meg to walk up a flight of stairs and to a door, which he couldn't open. Looking around for another way in, Sam found an open elevator gate, using that to climb steadily to the top floor. At the top, Sam could just about see through the gate into a dimly lit room where he could just about see Meg. There she was, stood before a black altar with a silver bowl in her hand that seemed to be filled with… blood.

Sam continued to watch as Meg spoke an incantation in some foreign language while swirling her finger in the blood, the blood still swirling on it's own as Meg then went on to speak to a voice only she seemed to be able to hear.

"I don't think you should come," Meg said, waiting and listening to the response she could hear.

"Because the three of them, they're in town, I didn't know that…."

The unseen voice responded.

"Yes, sir."

Meg again waited for the unseen voice.

"Yes, I'll be here, waiting for you."

Meg sat the bowl down, blowing out the candles and leaving the room as Sam looked on, confused at just what he had seen. When he had thought that maybe Meg had been involved with something, it hadn't been this.

Heaving himself the rest of the way into the room through the elevator shaft, Sam walked to the altar to get a better look at it. There were a couple of ancient items, the missing hearts from the victims round town, but the thing that got Sam's attention was the Zoroastrian symbol drawn in blood in the centre of the table.

Making his way back to the hotel, Sam was two steps through the door before he was quickly ambushed by Dean and Shia.

"I gotta talk to you," all three voices spoke out at once.

Sam was the one to speak first, bringing Dean and Shia up to date on just what he had seen inside the abandoned building.

"So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean said once he was filled in.

"Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing," Sam told them.

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl," Dean said with a chuckle, Sam rolling his eyes. "And what's the deal with that bowl again?"

"She was talking into it," Sam said. "The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone."

"With who? With the Daeva?" Dean asked.

"No, you said those things were savages," Sam said. "No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse."

Listening to this, Shia spoke for a moment before a thought, what she and Dean had been about to say when Sam had entered, suddenly came back to her and she flipped through the files on the table.

"Holy friggin' crap," Shia muttered.

"What?" Sam asked.

"What we were gonna tell you earlier," Shia told him. "Dean pulled a favor with his…'friend', Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims, we missed something the first time."

"What?" Sam repeated, coming over to look at the records.

"The first victim, the old man. He spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here. Look where he was born," Shia said, pointing to part of the page.

"Lawrence, Kansas," Sam read off.

"Yeahhhh," Shia said, picking up the second file. "Meredith, second victim, turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from." Shia pushes the file towards him, which reads 'Lawrence, Kansas' as the birth place. Shocked, Sam sits on the table across from Dean and Shia.

"Holy friggin' crap," Sam parroted Shia's early statement.

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

"I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom," Sam continued. "That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?"

"I think it's a definite possibility," Dean said.

"But I don't understand," Sam said. "What's the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?"

"Beats me," Dean said with a shrug. "But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation."

"No, we can't," Sam told him. "We shouldn't tip her off. We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We've gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her."

"I'll tell you one thing," Dean added. "I don't think we should do this alone."

Sam and Dean were in total agreement that they needed help, which was why Dean was now sat on the bed beside Shia in the motel room, leaving a message on his voicemail.

"We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom," Dean continued on the phone. "So, uh, this warehouse, it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can."

As he hung up, Sam walked back into the motel room, lugging a bag behind him.

"Voicemail?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dean said as Shia gestured to the bag in his hand.

"Dude, what'd you get?" she asked.

"I ransacked that trunk," Sam said with a chuckle, dumping the bag onto the other bed. "Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions. I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything."

"At least you're prepared, huh?" Shia said.

Dean nodded as he and Shia stood up, all three of them loading and checking the weapons in silence.

"Big night," Dean suddenly said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Sam answered simply.

"Are you guys nervous?" Shia asked the boys.

"No," they answered together, a little too quickly.

"Why, are you?" Dean asked Shia.

"Hell no," Shia said, knocking the room into silence for a second time.

"God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing?" Sam suddenly said, a cheerful tone to his voice. "That demon?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?" Dean said.

"I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did?" Sam went on. "What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school, be a person again."

"You wanna go back to school?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing," Sam answered truthfully.

"Huh," Dean said simply.

"Why, is there somethin' wrong with that?" Sam asked.

"No," Dean said, again too quickly. "No, it's, uh, great. Good for you."

"I mean, what are you gonna do when it's all over?" Sam asked both Dean and Shua.

"Its never gonna be over," Dean chose to answer this one. "There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt."

"But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yourself…." Sam began.

"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam," Dean interrupted, turning his back on Sam to walk to the dresser.

"What's your problem?" Sam asked. Both Dean remained silent for the moment, Dean walking over to stand beside Shia before turning round to Sam.

"Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh?" Dean said. "I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"'Cause Dad was in trouble," Sam answered. "'Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom."

"Yes, that, but it's more than that, man," Dean said, the room hitting a moment of silence again. "You and me and Shia and Dad…. I mean, I want us… I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again."

"Dean, we are a family," Sam clarified. "I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before."

"Could be," Dean said, the heartbreak clear in his voice.

"I don't want them to be," Sam said. "I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way."

And those words just added to the heartbreak for Dean. Once Dean was out of earshot, Sam walked over to Shia.

"You never said what you want once this is over," Sam whispered to his best friend.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe get a house, settle down. Convince Dean to marry me. Get a chance to get to know my brothers," Shia replied, Sam didn't understand why she said she want to get to know her brother when she knows him and Dean already...better than they know each other.

"Brothers?" Sam asked just to clear up his thought.

"Oh, yeah. I didn't mention them yet, huh? Well I have two brothers born from my mother Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War."

"Athena's your mother?!"

"Yeah, forgot to also mention what god is one of my parents."

"Anything else you want to tell the class?" Dean's voice said behind the interacting friends.

"I'll tell you guys more later, but as for right now...we should get going." Shia said as she walked pass both brothers.

Back at the warehouse, Dean and Shia were following Sam up the same way he had gone in last time, Meg already up and in front of the black altar, chanting in that foreign language. Once out of the elevator shaft and inside the building, Sam, Dean and Shia crept round the back of the room, hiding behind crates, unnoticed.

"Guys," Meg's voice suddenly rung out in English, their hiding place not so hidden. "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't you think?"

"Damn," Shia mumbled under her breath.

"Well, that didn't work out like I planned," Dean muttered to the other two as Meg turned towards their position.

"Why don't you come out?" Meg called, and the trio did, their guns cautiously out in the open in front of them. "Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Dean said.

"So, where's your little Daeva friend?" Dean asked.

"Around," Meg said, the innocent girl now gone. "You know, that shotgun's not gonna do much good."

"Oh, baby girl. Trust me, the shotguns not for the demon," Shia said.

"So, who is it, Meg?" Sam asked. "Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?"

"You," Meg answered.

Just then, the shadows that had stalked Meredith began to form on the walls, a group of them stalking towards Sam, Dean and Shia at the back of the room. Sam was the first to go, his feet taken from under him as Dean and Shia were thrown backwards, knocked heavily into the back brick wall. That same sharp-nailed hand rose at Sam, slashing down to form a slash across his cheek. The first bodily sign of trauma before he was knocked unconscious along with Dean and Shia.

Later that night, none of them were sure how long later, Sam woke up to find himself tied to one of the posts in the warehouse. He looked round to see Meg in front of him, and Dean and Shia tied together to the other post beside him.

"Hey, Sam?" Shia said, seeing Sam awake. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend... is a bitch."

"This, the whole thing, was a trap," Sam spoke to Meg. "Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin' what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it? And that the victims were from Lawrence?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Meg clarified. "It was just to draw you in, that's all."

"You killed those two people for nothin'," Sam said.

"Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less," Meg said.

"You trapped us," Dean said, bringing her attention to him. "Good for you. It's Miller time. But why don't you kill us already?"

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg said, moving closer to Dean. "This trap isn't for you."

Sam and Dean were puzzled by her words, but Shia was quicker on the uptake.

"John," Shia said. "It's a trap for your Dad."

"I guess woman really are smarter," Meg said with a smile at Dean, telling them Shia was right. Meg walked over to Shia and slapped her hard on the face, Shia's eyes went blue/white as she tried to use her powers.

"Oh, sweetie, you can't use your powers. I tied you up with some special rope!" Meg said as she giggled next to Shia. Shia was becoming weak so she decided to give up.

"Why don't you rest and try again later?" Meg said to Shia before punching her across the fast, Meg turned around to look at Dean. "Now, about John..."

"Oh, sweetheart," Dean said with a smirk of his own. "You're dumber than you look. 'Cause even if Dad was in town, which he is not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good."

"He is pretty good. I'll give you that," Meg said, moving even closer to Dean so she was straddling his outstretched legs. "But you see, he has one weakness."

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"You. He lets his guard down around you three, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town. And he'll come and try to save you. And then the Daevas will kill everybody, nice and slow and messy," Meg said to Dean before turning to Shia. "Just like what happened to your foster parents after you left that night. They didn't know what the hell was going on, didn't know who or why they were getting killed for."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shia asked weakly.

"Diane and Frank Robinson, they died a couple nights after you ran away. Your slut mother saved you by taking you away. I hate gods, they think they can interfere with everything. She's gonna feel pretty shitty when I kill in a little bit."

"Oh, you just love the sound of your voice, don't you?" Dean said, trying to pull Meg's attention back to him.

"Oh, Dean, coming to your girls rescue," Meg said with a smirk at him. "Not that it matters, of course. After John, it's your turn."

"Well, I've got news for ya," Dean told her. "It's gonna take a lot more than some… shadow to kill him."

"Oh, the Daevas are in the room here, they're invisible," Meg said. "Their shadows are just the only part you can see."

"Why you doin' this, Meg?" Sam spoke up again. "What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?"

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do," Meg told them. "Loyalty. Love. Like the love you had for Mommy… and Jess."

"Go to hell," Sam spat out at her.

"Baby, I'm already there," Meg said, sliding back over to Sam with a smile. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty. I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me, changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn't it?"

"Get a room, you two," Dean said to them, Shia still feeling weak beside him.

"I didn't mind," Meg said, ignoring Dean as she began kissing his neck. "I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun."

"You wanna have fun? Go ahead then. I'm a little tied up right now," Sam told her, and she did, continuing to kiss him. It was a noise from Dean and Shia's side of the room that stopped her, making her look up and move back to Dean. Stepping behind the post, she saw Dean trying to cut through his ropes with a small knife. Tossing it away into the corner, Meg swung round to face Dean, who smiled at her with a chuckle. Meg simply moved back over to Sam.

"Now, were you just trying to distract me while your brother cuts free?" Meg said to Sam.

"No. No," Sam replied. "That's because I have a knife of my own."

Meg pulled back, looking at Sam confused. But that only lasted a second as Sam pulled his hands that he had been cutting free away, grabbing Meg by the shoulders and head butting her. She toppled back, falling to the ground, allowing Sam to get up.

"Sam! Get the altar," Dean yelled at his brother from his position still tied to the post. Sam headed right that way, grabbing the table and heaving it over. The contents of the black altar scattered, the demons were no longer under control, so they went after the ones who had put them on a leash: Meg.

Conversing from all over the room to just one point, the demon grabbed Meg kicking and screaming, throwing her from the window to crash down to the street below, sprawled in a rather uncomfortable looking position. One that most definitely meant she was not walking away from this attack.

Meg and the demons dealt with, Sam moved back across the room to free Dean and Shia, the three needing to see proof of her body lay on the floor.

"So, I guess the Daevas didn't like being bossed around," Sam said as they looked down through the broken window at Meg.

"Yeah, I guess not," Dean said. "Hey, Sam? Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that's not so buckets-o'-crazy, huh?"

Dean grinned at Sam, turning to Shia just in time to see her silently, like she had been since Meg had spoke to her, walk from the room. Not too keen on her being alone right now, especially considering the way she was limping a little from the first time she had been thrown by the Daeva, Dean was right behind her.

Their journey back to their motel had been in relative silence, Sam carrying the bag up the motel stairs now, Dean helping Shia walk along.

"Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Dean asked Sam.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," Sam replied. "Better safe than sorry."

Dean just shook his head as he unlocked the door with his free hand, pushing it open. Before they had chance to flick the light switch, a silhouette of a man stood by the window grabbed their attention.

"Hey!" Dean called as Sam flicked on the lights. The man now turned round, his face bathed in light so the trio could see just who it was. And John Winchester was now stood in front of them.

Sam, Dean and Shia stood in shock. All this time searching, and now here he was, stood in their motel room.

"Dad?" Dean mumbled, his voice sounding like that of a small boy.

"Hey, guys," John said to the trio.

Having heard the emotion in Dean's voice, Shia gently pulled herself out of his arms, leaning into the wall to let Dean move forward, embracing his father. From behind them, both Sam and Shia watched this scene.

"Hi, Sam," John said to his younger son as he and Dean pulled apart.

"Hey, Dad," Sam said softly, lowering his bag of weapons to the floor. Her footing going, Shia stumbled slightly against the wall, Dean moving to her side in an instant to hold her up, bring John's attention to her as well.

"Shia, sweetheart," John said to her softly. "Still looking out for my boys?"

"As always," Shia said with a small smile before leaning her head closer into Dean's shoulder, Dean's arm's tightening round her.

"What happened?" John asked Dean, noticing this.

"The demons just then," Dean started. "They… Shia's foster parents after she left… they were…."

John knew exactly what he was saying. He moved closer to the pair, taking Shia from Dean and hugging, doing what he had always done since that fateful day when she had lost her parents. Treating her like the daughter he never had.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," John said quietly just to her. Shia leaned into John for a moment, excepting his comfort, before pulling back and letting Dean take over again.

"Dad, it was a trap," Dean said. "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I thought it might've been," John said.

"Were you there?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive," John said. "She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir," Sam and Dean both chorused, falling into their natural role with their father.

"Good," John said. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."

"The demon has?" Sam asked.

"It knows I'm close," John said. "It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell, actually kill it."

"How?" Dean asked.

"I'm workin' on that," John said with a smile.

"Let us come with you. We'll help," Sam said, earning him a warning look from Dean.

"No, Sam," John said. "Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us," Sam said.

"Of course I do. I'm your father," John said, pausing for a moment. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir," Sam answered.

"It's good to see you again," John told him. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Sam said.

And with those few words, that was it. The friction between them was gone and they truly were father and son again as Sam took Dean's lead, moving forward to embrace his father.

They had only pulled away for a moment, the four sharing an emotion filled look, when the shadow demons were back, throwing both John and Sam across the room.

"No!" Dean called out, but it was too late. He and Shia were next, flying across the room in the opposite direction.

While the four struggled against the demons, none of them knew that outside their motel room, Meg, the girl who had fallen stories from a building, was stood watching the scene unfold, gripping to the pendent round her neck of the Zoroastrian symbol that was controlling them again.

Inside the motel room, Sam, Dean, Shia and John were being thrown round the room, scratches about on their faces as their claws were raised and lowered over and over again. Sam finally managed to pull away from the onslaughts as most of the blows were falling on John, reaching for the weapons bag and pulling out a flare.

"Shut your eyes!" Sam yelled to the other three. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!"

As they all did, Sam lit the flare, the room instantly filled with smoke and a bright white light, banishing the demons. Coughing and spluttering through the smoke, the four now tried to feel their way round the room.

"Sam, you got him?" Dean yelled randomly into the room.

"Yeah," Sam said, taking the bag and moving closer to his father and Dean moved over to Shia. The Winchester brother's taking a hold of their respective family members, the four of them managed to get out of the room, making it out to the parking lot where Dean's car and John's truck was, Sam throwing the weapons bag into the trunk.

"Why do they always have to pick on the Demi God?" Shia said as she leant into Dean.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Dean said, trying to bring back his joking, smiling girlfriend.

"All right, come on. We don't have much time," Sam spoke to the other three. "As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

"Wait, wait. Sam, wait," Dean said. "Dad, you can't come with us."

"What?" Sam questioned. "What are you talkin' about?"

"You three, you're beat to hell," John said, looking round at the trio in front of him.

"We'll be all right," Dean told him.

"Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after those demons…." Sam began.

"Sam! Listen to me!" Dean called over his brother. "We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's… he's stronger without us around."

"Sam, Dean's right...," Shia said softly.

"Dad, no," Sam said, getting desperate as he grabbed his father's shoulders. "After everything, after all the time we spent lookin' for you… please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

"Sammy," John said, placing his hand over one of Sam's. "This fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've gotta let me go."

The street was silent for a minute, Dean and Shia watching on close to tears as they waited for Sam's response. Finally, he smiled softly, patting John's shoulder but letting go, showing he understood. They all shared an look before John left first, moving to his truck, turning back only once.

"Be careful, guys," John muttered to himself before getting into his truck and driving away.

"Come on," Dean said, guiding Sam and Shia over to the car and driving away.

Again, what they failed to notice was Meg watching as the car drove away.

_Hello, guys! Hope you like this chapter. SO much will unfold in the next chapter! Please review! I will be asking for your thoughts about things soon. So, keep on a look out. _


	15. Hell House

One week ago.

It was dark, and Shia was all alone in a big house that seem familiar to her. It was her foster parents house...a place she used to call her home.

"Mom? Dad? Sam? Dean?" Shia called out as she ran in and out the house, she went upstairs and walked the familiar hallway. Shia came face to the door to her old room, she saw the dark figure in front of her.

"You killed them, you know? It could have been you, not them." The dark figure told her.

"And who the hell are you?" Shia snapped at the figure in front of her. The man walked into a spot where the moonlight hit perfectly, he was tall, pale, and had...yellow eyes. "Yellow eyes..."

"I prefer to be called Azazel. Anyways, I wish you would have died, now soon something more powerful than any normal Si-God will come..." he said walking towards Shia.

"It's Demi-God, idiot..." Shia said with a sly smirk. "What? You think I'm scared of you?"

"No, I don't. I know you're not afraid of me. Want to know the truth?"

"What?"

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"And why's that?" Shia asked sternly but curiously.

"The Si-God will come soon since you're still alive..." Azazel said before disappearing.

Shia snapped open her eyes gasping for air with her eyes rolled to the back of her eyes, she wasn't in the room of her old home anymore. She was beside Dean in the motel bed. Shia got up and threw on some clothes, the clock read 2:45. Outside it was cold, the wind blew softly against her cheek.

"Shia?" a voice behind her said, she turned to come face to face with one of her older brothers, Julius.

"Jay?" Shia asked.

"Yeah. It's me. It's been a while since we seen each other. How have you been?"

"No disrespect or anything, but let's cut the small chat. Why are you here?" Shia asked not trying to sound as harsh as she's being.

"I had a feeling that something was wrong, you didn't answer my last phone call. Hell, you didn't even call back," Julius said sadly, Shia smiled softly at the man in front of her...he might be older than her but he makes her feel like she's the older one.

"Yeah. Sorry. Hey, what's a Si-God?" Shia asked her brother, he looked at her curiously.

"Uh, I don't know actually. I have heard the name before, I'll get home and hit the books...make some calls. Talk to Michael."

"How is he?"

"Well, he stopped hunting with me about a month ago. He gets busy in his everyday life to fight evil. You know he's a doctor now..."

"Yeah, I know. He told me that the last time we talked," Shia told the young man in front of her. Julius looked at his sister with such curiosity. Where has she heard something about a Si-God? Damn it. Where have he heard of it?

"Where is all of this coming from? Si-God? Did something happen?"

"The yellow eyed demon told me," Shia said nonchalantly.

"When? Did he hurt you?" Julius said with anger building up inside him, he got so mad that his eyes went a blazing green/white color.

"Hey, calm down. He didn't hurt me, but he did say because of me a Si-God will come."

"Right, well, I'll look after you more now. And as soon as I get back to my place I'll hit the books. I have to go...one of the Winchesters woke up,"

"Wait, you'll have to meet them sometime." Shia said with a playful eye roll.

"Yeah, well, try explaining how you're outside in the middle of the night talking to some dude. I'll see you later little sis," Julius said before orbing away and giving her a kiss on the cheek. The motel door open as soon as Julius left, the person who opened the door was Dean...his hair messy, chest showing. Dean looked at his girlfriend with a tired expression.

"Shia, babe, what the hell are you doing out here? Would you come back to bed? Please?" Dean said grabbing Shia's hand and dragging on the bed they share.

Now in the present day, ghost, monster and down right anything weird hunters Sam and Dean Winchester, along with Shia Colten, are driving down the interstate to their latest hunt. After begging her boyfriend over and over, Shia is driving, Dean in the seat beside her, while Sam dozes peacefully behind them. Seeing this however, Dean is in the mood to interrupt Sam's peace.

Taking a plastic spoon from the glove box in front of him, Dean cautiously sticks it into Sam's mouth, thankfully not waking him. He does, however, grab Shia's attention as she watches him, one eye on the road one in the rear view mirror.

"You're so immature, you know that," she says with a laugh.

"Yeah, but its fun," is Dean's only answer as he takes out a cell phone to take a snap shot of his sleeping brother. With a laugh, Shia finally relents, letting Dean turn up the volume on the radio, and even singing along with him as it blares out.

"A fire of unknown origin took my baby away!" the pair sing-along, rudely waking Sam, who immediately spits the spoon out as Dean and Shia, still laughing over the heavy music, drum along to the beat on the steering wheel and dashboard.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Sam grates out, reaching forward to lower down the blaring rock music.

"Sorry," Dean said, although the little chuckle takes away it's meaning. "Not a lot of scenery here in east Texas, you kind of gotta make your own.

"You know, you're not kids anymore, guys," Shia says, laughing herself. "You're not gonna start that BS up again."

"Start what up?" Dean asks.

"That prank stuff," Sam finishes before Shia does. "It's stupid, and it always escalates."

"Oh, what's the matter, Sammy, you afraid you're gonna get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?" Dean challenges with a smile.

"All right," Sam says, accepting the challenge. "Just remember, you started it."

"Oh, bring it on, Baldy," Dean retorts.

"Wait, I don't want to get involved in this. It never ends pretty," Shia said keeping her eyes on the road.

"You'll get involved...you always do," Dean grinned at the girl sitting beside him.

"Where are we, anyway?" Sam asked, bringing the conversation back round to their job.

"Few hours outside of Richardson," Dean answered. "Give me the lowdown again."

"All right," Sam said, reaching forward to grab the piece of paper resting on the dashboard. "About a month or two ago, this group of kids goes pokin' around in this local haunted house."

"Haunted by what?"

"Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings 'em up in the rafters."

"It's always a damn girl," Shia interjects. "Why is it always male ghosts that go after girls? Do they like, form a little club once their dead or something? Like they don't do enough when they're friggin' alive! Like seriously it's annoying, I'm sick of always being bait and becoming the damsel in distress...it's f'd up!"

Sam and Dean merely watched Shia, waiting for her to finish her little rant. They knew by know it was just her way of getting things out, constantly stuck in a car and motel room with two boys, whether she loved them both unconditionally or not. No matter how many times she complained about them, she'd never leave. She had far too much fun with the Winchester boys.

So they just waited until she was finished, Sam continuing on with the details of their latest case like she hadn't said anything.

"Anyway, this group of kids see this dead girl hangin' in the cellar."

"Anybody ID the corpse?"

"Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there, the body was gone. So, cops are sayin' the kids were just yankin' chains."

"Well, maybe the cops are right."

"Maybe," Shia said, this time putting in something to do with the case. "But I read a couple of the kids' firsthand accounts. They seem pretty sincere."

"Where'd you read these accounts?" Dean asked her.

"Well, I knew we were gonna be passing through Texas. So, uh, last night I searched some local….paranormal websites," Shia said, causing Dean to roll his eyes at her. "And I found one."

"And what's it called?" Dean asked. Shia looked at him, reluctant to answer the question and biting at her bottom lip. Dean just smiled, having to admit that she really did look cute when she did that.

"Hell Hound's Lair dot com," she finally admitted.

"Let me guess," Dean said. "Streaming live out of Mom's basement."

"Yeah, most likely," Shia agreed with a little laugh.

"Yeah, most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the persqueeter," Dean continued.

"Look," Sam interjected. "We let Dad take off, which was a mistake, by the way. And now, we don't know where the hell he is, so, in the meantime, we've got to find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checkin' this thing out."

"All right," Dean said, giving in. "So, where do we find these kids?"

"Same place you always find kids in a town like this," Sam replied.

That place happened to be the local Rodeo Drive-In café. And, as suspected, three of the four teenagers from that night two months ago were all sat around, pretty eager to answer Sam, Dean and Shia's questions. But eager did not mean accurate, as the trio soon found out.

When asked what the house was like, they found out that the walls were painted in blood, black paint, or even nothing, as the girl had her eyes closed the whole time.

When asked about the girl, they were told she had blonde, black or even red hair, and she was hanging from the rafters, both kicking and lifeless. And, from one boy, they even got the reply that she was kinda hot, in a dead sort of way!

There was only one thing that all three seemed to think alike on. When asked how they found out about the place, they all gave the same answer.

A boy named Craig took them.

Since their best bet for information now seemed to be Craig Thurston, that's who the trio needed to talk to next, finding him at his place of work, the local record store.

"Gentlemen, lady," Craig said in greeting as they walked up to him. "Can I help you with anything? Especially you pretty lady," Craig finished up saying...ending with giving Shia a wink. Shia was nice enough to give the boy and smile, but Dean simply glared at him.

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" Sam asked him.

"I am," Craig answered.

"Well, we're reporters with the Dallas Morning News," Shia told him. "I'm Shia, this is Sam and Dean."

"No way," Craig said with a wide smile. "Yeah, I'm a writer, too. I write for my school's lit magazine. We should get together and write stories together sometime."

"Oh, good for you, Morrison. And look kid...I'm too old for you so don't flirt with me...not in front of my boyfriend at least," Shia said with a smile of her own, this one slightly strained. Craig looked over to the irritated Dean, he put two pieces together to know that Shia and him are together.

"We're doing an article on local hauntings, and rumour has it you might know about one," Sam added before a fight broke out.

"You mean the Hell House?" Craig said enthusiastically.

"That's the one," Dean snapped .

"I didn't think there was anything to the story," Craig replied.

"Why don't you tell us the story?" Sam asked.

"Well," Craig began. "Supposedly, back in the thirties, this farmer, Mordechai Murdoch, used to live in the house with his six daughters. It was during the Depression. His crops were failing. He didn't have enough money to even feed his own children. So, I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Sam encouraged him to go on.

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick rather than starve to death," Craig continued. "So he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop. But he just strung them up, one after another. And then, when he was all finished, he turned around and hung himself. Now, they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringin' up any other girl who goes inside."

"But where'd you hear all this?" Dean asked, still trying to get to the point of all this.

"My cousin, Dana, told me," Craig answered. "I don't know where she heard it from. You've gotta realize I didn't believe this for a second."

"But now you do?" Shia asked him.

"I don't know what the hell to think, man," Craig said. "Guys, I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, okay? That girl was real, and she was dead. This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't wanna go anywhere near that house ever again, okay?"

"Thanks, kid," Shia said as the group turned to leave, exchanging a look with the brothers. The other three teenagers might have come up with nothing, but after talking to Craig, they were beginning to think their 'it-was-all-a-hoax' theory was slowly getting thinner and thinner. And that one was their favorite .

Having got all the information they were likely to get out of the four who had been there that night, Sam, Dean and Shia now figured it was time to go look into the house themselves. And even they had to admit they didn't much like what they saw.

"Can't say I blame the kid," Sam said as they began to approach the old house that really did look like something right of the screen of a good horror movie.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal," Shia said, Sam giving a small laugh as they moved round the outside of the building, EMF meters out and beeping.

"You got somethin'?" Sam asked Dean.

"Yeah," Dean answered, while Shia was looking round.

"Well, the EMF's no good," Shia said, turning her own off and slipping it back into her pocket.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"I think that thing's still got a little juice in it," Shia said, nodding to the nearby telephone pole. "It's gotta be screwing with all the readings."

"Yeah, that'd do it," Sam agreed, him and Dean both switching their own off.

"Yep. Come on, let's go," Dean said, walking them actually inside the house now.

Once inside, they saw exactly the same thing as the teenagers had. A dark room with painted symbols on the walls, only this group were a lot more likely to recognise those symbols.

"Looks like Old Man Murdoch was a bit of a tagger during his time," Dean said as they all looked round at the walls, Shia with her phone out to take pictures for future reference.

"And after his time, too," Sam noted. "The reversed cross has been used by Satanists for centuries, but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the sixties."

"This is exactly why you never get laid," Dean said, giving his brother an odd look while Shia just shook her head and walked to take a picture of the symbol Sam had noted. Dean turned his own attention back to the wall and symbol he was in front of. "Hey, what about this one? You seen this one before?" Sam and Shia walked over to join him, Shia again straight on with the pictures.

"No," Sam answered to Dean's question.

"I have. Somewhere," Dean said as Sam moved up closer, running his finger along the symbol Dean had pointed out.

"It's paint," he said, seeing it leave a mark against his skin. "Seems pretty fresh, too."

"I don't know, Sam," Shia said. "I mean, I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but the cops might be right about this one."

"Yeah, maybe," Seam agreed… until they heard a noise coming from the other room.

Moving towards it, they were prepared for whatever monster they might find behind that door. Except when they crashed through it, what stood in front of them was were two scared looking geeks with video equipment and flashlights.

"Cut!" One of them screamed. "Just some humans. What are you guys doing here?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Shia threw back at them.

"Uh, we belong here," the geek said. "We're professionals."

"Professional what?" Dean asked.

"Paranormal investigators," the guy said, taking out a bunch of business cards and handing one each to Sam, Dean and Shia. "There ya go. Take a look at that, guys."

"Oh, you've gotta be kiddin' me," Dean said as they all read through the cards.

"Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler. Hell Hound's Lair dot com," Shia read off. "You guys run that website."

"Yeah," the guy who had been speaking all along, Ed, said.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, we're huge fans," Dean said, scanning round the room himself.

"And, uh, we know who you guys are, too," Ed said.

"Oh, yeah?" Sam asked, exchanging a nervous look with Dean and Shia. The kind they always got when someone said something like that.

"Amateurs," Ed continued, Sam, Dean and Shia now physically relaxing. "Lookin' for ghosts and cheap thrills."

"Yeah," the guy who had up to now been quiet, Harry, said. "So, if you guys don't mind, we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here."

"Mmmm, hmmmm," Ed agreed.

"Yeah? What do you got so far?" Dean asked them.

"Uh, Harry, why don't you tell 'em about EMF?" Ed said. With a smile on her face, Shia found the perfect opportunity to play with these two guys. Stepping closer, she smiled there way, really going for the obvious as she began to flirt with them.

"EMF?" she said, her voice level dropping in pitch. That and the smile caused Ed and Harry to gulp noticeably, stumbling to answer her.

"Electromagnetic field," Harry eventually answered, taking an EMF meter from his bag, which was buzzing. "Spectral entities can cause energy fluctuations that can be read with an EMF detector, like this bad boy right here. Whoa, whoa. That's 2.8 MG."

"2.8," Ed repeated.

"It's hot in here," Harry said.

"My, oh, my," Shia breathed out, continuing to move closer to them. "So, have you guys ever really seen a ghost before, or…?"

"Once," Ed told her. "We were, uh… we were investigating this old house, and we saw a vase fall right off the table."

"By itself," Harry added.

"Well, we didn't actually see it, but we heard it," Ed amended, making Dean shake his head in shame for all the real hunters out there. "And something like that, it, uh… it changes you."

"Yeah. I think I get the picture," Dean said, moving closer to Sam and Shia with a grin. "We should go… let them get back to work."

"Yeah, you should," Harry said.

"Sam? Shia?" Dean called to them, leaving the room with Sam close behind. Shia lagged back a little in the room, turning to the Hell Hound boys and smiling with a coy wave before she left, knowing the whole time that their eyes were still on her.

"She was a babe," Harry said once she had left their eyesight.

"Definitely," Ed agreed.

Outside the room, Shia caught up with Sam and Dean, laughing as she moved up beside Dean, who wrapped his arm round his girlfriend's shoulders.

"You're immature, you know that," he said to her.

"Yeah, but its fun," Shia said, emulating his response to her in the car, the trio laughing as they left the house.

With the house showing up nothing, Sam, Dean and Shia split up to take the research from two new angles, Shia's being to spend a little time a the local library. Stepping down the stone steps, she met up with Sam and Dean as they headed her way, the three now walking together to the car.

"Hey," Shia said in greeting.

"Hey beautiful," Dean replied. "What do you got?"

"Well," Shia began. "I couldn't find a Mordechai, but I did turn up a Martin Murdoch who lived in that house in the thirties. He did have children, but only two of 'em, both boys. And there was no record he ever killed anybody. What about you?"

"Well," Sam began with his and Dean's side of the research. "Those kids didn't really give us a clear description of that dead girl, but I did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons… it's like she never existed."

"Dude, come on, man," Dean said as they finally reached the car. "We did our digging, this one's a bust, all right? For all we know, those Hell Hound boys made up the whole thing."

"Yeah, all right," Sam agreed reluctantly.

"So, I say we find ourselves a bar and some beers, and leave the legend to the locals," Dean said as he slid into the front seat of the car. Most definitely up for that over more research, Shia went to take the seat beside him, but was held back by Sam. She gave him a confused look, but he just held up his hand, telling her to wait. In a minute, she understood why.

The minute Dean turned the key to start the car, it practically exploded with life. The radio bellowed out some kind of fast paced music Dean would never listen to, the windscreen wipers frantically began swishing back and forth, and the whole car practically jumped with the force of it all as the engine kicked in as well. The car wasn't the only thing that jumped as Dean moved to quickly switch everything off before he got any more stares from the passing public.

Through all this, all Sam and Shia could do was stand there and laugh.

"What the…?" Dean started as he saw Sam slide into the seat beside him and Shia into the back, both still laughing. Sam, knowing he had Dean's attention, licked his finger, drew a number one in their air, then mouthed the word 'me' as he pointed to himself. "That's all you got? That's weak. That is Bush-league."

Again, all Sam and Shia could do was laugh.

"Babe, you got to admit. That was great. Your face," Shia said. Dean and Sam looked at the laughing girl behind them, they never seen her laugh so hard. Dean stared at her in awe. "What do I have something on my face?"

"No, you're just beautiful." Dean said. Sam rolled at his brother being corny with his best friend, he turned around to see Shia blush at Dean's comment.

Next day, before the trio left town, they decided to drive by the house one more time. And it was a good job they did, because what they found was the police surrounded by police, paramedics and onlookers, an ambulance parked beside a number of police cars while yellow tape was strapped around the area. The abandoned building looked a lot more alive then they had ever seen it.

Getting out of the car to find out what was going on, Sam, Dean and Shia watched as the paramedics carried Jill (The dead girl) out of the house in a body bag.

"What happened?" Dean asked one of the onlookers as they stopped beside him.

"Couple of cops say that poor girl hung herself in the house," he told them.

"Suicide?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. But she was a straight-A student, with a full ride to UT, too. It just don't make sense," the guy said as he walked away from the, leaving the trio to ponder what might be going on as they watched that young girl's body hauled into the back of the ambulance.

"What do you think?" Sam asked the two beside him.

"I think maybe we missed something," Shia answered him.

Later that night, while two sheriffs patrolled the building, Sam, Dean and Shia watched from a hidden spot in the trees.

"I guess the cops don't want anymore kids screwin' around in there," Sam noted.

"Yeah, but we still gotta get in there," Dean said, while Shia heard sounds behind them, someone whispering.

"I don't believe it," Shia groaned as she turned to see where the sound had come from. Sam and Dean turned with her to see Ed and Harry not so stealthily making their way towards the house, the packs of equipment they were carrying not helping at all.

"I got an idea," Dean said, standing up but still staying hidden as he yelled out into the trees. "Who ya gonna call?"

This got the desired effect as Ed and Harry stumbled to see where the noise had come from, making more noise themselves and revealing where they were to the sheriffs, who went chasing after them, giving Sam, Dean and Shia the chance to sneak into the unprotected house.

Inside, there was still one thing about this place that seemed to be bugging Dean.

"Man, where have I seen that symbol before?" he said, stopping in front of it. "It's killin' me!"

"Come on, we don't have much time," Sam said, him and Shia leading Dean down into the cellar. Looking around, Dean's eyes fell on the numerous jars stacked on the shelves.

"Hey, Sam," he called to his brother. "I dare you to take a swig of this."

"What the hell would I do that for?" Sam asked, Dean going silent as he thought of an answer.

"I double-dare you," is what he came up with, making Sam shake his head and Shia laugh.

"You're just a big kid at heart, aren't you?" Shia said to him.

"And you love me for it," Dean replied, pulling a still laughing Shia into a quick kiss.

A noise from the other side of the room grabbed all of their attentions, each pulling out their weapons and standing in front of the source of the sound, an old cabinet in the corner. Counting down, Sam quickly pulled the door open. When he did, several quite large rats scurried out across the floor, making Shia jumped closer to her boyfriend.

"Ugh, damn rats," Shia moaned.

"You'd rather it was a ghost?" Sam asked her.

"Uh, yeah," Shia stated, all three of them turning around to find that rats weren't the only things sharing the cellar with them.

Mordechai had suddenly appeared in front of them, axe raised high ready to bring down for a lethal blow. Sam was the quicker draw however, firing off a couple of shots into him until he dissolved into a cloud of smoke.

"What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt?" Sam complained.

"I don't know, and deep down I don't want to find out," Shia called out, eager to just get out of there now. "Come on, come on, come on,"

First in line to leave, she was also first in line for attack when Mordechai appeared in front of the again, smashing through the shelves before trying to swing at Shia. In defense, Shia held her hand using her powers to push the ghost force back...only her powers didn't work on the thing in front of her, Mordechai used a blade in his hand and stabbed Shia in the stomach. Shia felt nothing but pain.

"Go! Get out of here!" Shia called to the boys, the two of them getting past her, Shia punched Mordechai with force causing him to fall back, when Shia knew the boys were gone she just ran as fast as she could.

While all this was going on inside the house, Ed and Harry had managed to evade the cops and creep back into position outside the house.

"Maybe we should just go," Harry told Ed.

"No," Ed said firmly. "Would John Edward go? Now, we've lost the cops, let's find our centre, and get some work done, okay?" Harry nodded, agreeing, Ed not noticing if it was a little reluctantly.

"All right," Ed said, him and Harry turning towards the front door of the house. But before they could get in, Sam, Dean and Shia came running out. Ed and Harry, however, didn't miss a beat, their cameras up to catch whatever was going on.

"Get that damn thing out of my face!" Dean called as he pushed past the boys. Ed and Harry still managed to hold their cameras straight though. Enough to catch Mordechai as he ran to the door, chasing after Sam, Dean and Shia.

"Sweet Lord… of the Rings, run!" Harry yelled, him and Ed turning to flee, only to be stopped by the two sheriffs from before stood in their way. "But there's a… with an axe… where'd he go?" Harry stammered as he turned to see that Mordechai had vanished.

"Boys, come on," one of the sheriffs said, pushing both boys against the hood of the cop car.

In the car, the trio was driving back to the motel.

"What the hell was that?!" Dean asked.

"We don't know Dean. I mean...we really don't know," Sam said opening up a book him and Shia was reading earlier.

"I want to know what we're dealing with! Baby, why didn't your powers work on that thing?" Dean asked the young woman sitting in the backseat, both men waited for a reply...and when they didn't get one they turned to her. Dean was glancing between his girlfriend and the road. Sam was confused to see her "asleep" then her noticed her hand on her stomach, he slowly moved her hand and what he saw scared the hell out of him.

"Dean, she's bleeding, the damn thing must have stabbed her," Sam yelled.

"What?! What do we do?! Sam?!" Dean asked.

"Let's get her back to the motel, patch her up. She's still alive...just unconscious." Dean nodded at his brother, he couldn't focus properly. I mean he just find out that his girlfriend just got stabbed, she could lose her life right now.

Dean carried Shia in the motel room and placed her on the bed in front of him, Sam ran to his bag to get some supplies to help Dean clean his best friend up.

"Don't touch her, I can fix it," the two boys heard a voice say, they turned to see a young man walk to Shia's body and put his hand over her stabbed area, his hand glowed with a green light. They boys looked at Shia with wide eyes when she opened her eyes, she was full of life after the young man healed her. Dean jumped forward and pushed the guy back to the wall.

"Are you a faith healer? Are you playing God?!" Dean asked.

"Dean! Wait, no, Dean. He's my brother!" Shia told her boyfriend. Dean looked between Shia and the guy, they sort of looked alike.

"Oh, sorry. Hey, I'm Dean and this is my brother Sam," Dean said motioning his hands between him and his little brother.

"I'm Julius, your girlfriend's big brother," Julius said with a grin.

"Julius, what are you doing here?" Shia asked, she wasn't complaining or anything.

"I could feel that something was wrong, so I came running. Micheal called before I orbed here. He said you were in trouble, he saw it in a vision."

"Oh. Thanks for healing me then. Really, thank you," Shia said giving her brother an appreciated smile.

"No problem, really." Julius said as he walked towards the door. "I should get going, I still have some research to do about what you asked to search for last time I seen you." Shia gave Julius a nod as she smiled at him. Julius' figure morphed into small green lights (Orbs) as he vanished in thin air.

"Can you do that?" Dean asked turning to his girlfriend.

"I can a little, with enough practice I'll be a pro just like jules."

"He seems nice, why didn't we meet him earlier?" Sam asked sitting on the he called his for a night.

"I don't know, never really thought about it." Shia told the man with shaggy brown hair, Sam gave her a small smile.

"What did you ask him to search for you?" Dean asked.

"Uh, business. You should get some." Shia answered walking over to Dean to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before going to the bathroom. Sam chuckled to himself.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Dude, she makes you soft." Sam said.

"Shut up."

The next morning, Sam, Dean and Shia were now back in their motel room and back on the case, Sam and Shia sat at the table doing research, while Dean was still going over that symbol he couldn't get out of his head.

"What the hell is this symbol? It's buggin' the hell outta me. This whole damn job is buggin' me," Dean continued to ranmt and moan. "I thought the legend said that Mordechai only goes after chicks."

"He does," Shia answered, glad Dean was talking about anything but that God damned symbol!

"Right," Dean said. "Well, then that explains why he went after you and Sam, but why me?"

"Hilarious," Sam deadpanned at Dean.

"The legend also says he hung himself, but you see those slit wrists?" Shia said. "What's up with that? And the axe, too."

"I mean, ghosts are usually pretty strict, right?" Sam continued. "Following the same patterns over and over?"

"But his mood keeps changin'," Dean summed up.

"Exactly," Sam said.

"I'm telling you, the way the story goes…." Shia began as she logged onto the Hell Hounds site, something catching her eye. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Someone added a new post into the Hell Hounds' site. Listen to this," Shia began reading from the site. "They say Mordechai Murdoch was really a Satanist who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's imprisoned in the house for eternity. Where the hell is this going?"

While Shia had been reading, Dean had still been concentrating on the symbol, and now, something caught his eye as well.

"I don't know, but I think I might have just figured out where it all started," Dean said, smirking at Sam and Shia as he jumped off the bed.

"Where are we going?" Shia asked.

"You'll see, babe. Now, come on." Dean replied grabbing his girlfriend's hand lacing their fingers.

At Hell Hounds HQ, known to others as the local trailer park, Ed and Harry were inside their own trailer, working on their website and discussing last night.

"No, no, no," Harry stood his ground. "No, forget it. Forget it, I'm not going back in there again."

"Harry, look at me. Right here, okay?" Ed said, not going on until Harry was indeed looking at him. "You are a ghost hunter, okay?"

"I know, but, Ed" Harry said. "I've never actually seen a real ghost before, like a real ghost, it's like an apparition!"

"This stuff right here, this is our ticket to the big time," Ed told him. "Fame, money, sex. With girls, okay? Be brave. Okay, WWBD. What would Buffy do? Huh?"

"What would Buffy do?" Harry repeated, for a moment strong again, but suddenly going back to cautious in a split second. "I don't know, but, Ed, she's stronger than me."

"It's okay," Ed said, that statement questioned as they both jumped at a loud knocking on their trailer door.

"Who is it?" Harry muttered to Ed.

"Come on out here, guys," Dean's voice echoed through to them. "We hear you in there."

"It's them," Ed grumbled, opening the door to Sam, Dean and Shia on the other side.

"Oh goodness, look at that," Shia said, peering inside the trailer. "Action figures in their original packaging. What a shocker."

"Guys, we need to talk," Sam said, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah, um, sorry, guys," Ed said. "We're, uh… we're a little bit busy right now."

"Okay, well, we'll make it quick," Shia said. "We need you to shut down your website."

"Man," Ed said with a laugh, turning to Harry. "You know, these guys get us busted last night, we spend the night in a holding cell."

"I had to pee in that cell urinal in front of people," Harry added. "And I get stage fright."

"Why should we trust you guys?" Ed asked.

"Look, guys, we all know what we saw last night," Sam said, trying to appeal to them. "What's in the house. But now, thanks to your website, there are thousands of people hearin' about Mordechai."

"That's right," Dean continued. "Which means people are gonna keep showin' up at the Hell House, runnin' into him in person… somebody could get hurt."

"Ed, maybe he's got a point," Harry said, showing who, out of the two, was the weaker of them.

"No, no," Ed said emphatically.

"Nope," Harry agreed, trying to act strong.

"Okay, we have an obligation to our fans, to the truth," Ed told them.

"Well, I have an obligation to kick both your little asses right now…." Dean threatened, taking a step closer to the pair.

"Dean, Dean, hey, hey," Shia said, pulling him back. "Forget it, all right? These guys… I could probably bitch-slap them both. I could probably even tell 'em that thing about Mordechai…." At this point, Ed and Harry became suddenly interested.

"But they're still not gonna help us," Shia finished. "So, let's just go."

"Yeah, you're right," Dean said, the trio walking away from them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ed said, following after them. "What did you say about…? Hold on a second here."

"Wait, wait," Harry called from beside him. "Yeah, what thing about Mordechai, you guys?"

"Don't tell 'em, babe," Dean told her.

"But if they agree to shut their website down…." Shia started.

"They're not gonna do it. You said so yourself," Sam backed Dean up.

"No, wait, wait. Don't listen to him, okay? We'll do it," Ed said, Sam, Dean and Shia now stopping and turning to them. "We'll do it."

"It's a secret, Shia," Sam warned her.

"Look, it is a very big deal, alright?" Shia told Ed and Harry. "And it wasn't easy to dig up. So, only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down."

"Totally," Ed agreed, thinking he had found the weaker link in Shia.

"Alright," Shia said, all three giving in as Dean handed them a piece of paper from his pocket. "It's a death certificate from the thirties. We got it at the library. Now, according to the coroner, the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"That's right," Dean continued. "He didn't hang or cut himself."

"He shot himself?" Harry questioned.

"Yup," Sam said. "With a .45 pistol. To this day, they say he's terrified of 'em."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact," Shia went on. "They say if you shoot him with a .45, loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds, you could kill the son of a bitch."

With this information, Ed and Harry smiled, making their way back to their trailer as quick as their feet would carry them. It was obvious they were rushing back to post their newfound information on their site, they weren't even being sly about it. Sam, Dean and Shia just smiled, each thinking the exact same thing.

'Worked like a charm!' Both of the brothers thought.

'Dumb asses' Shia thought with sly smirk on her face.

Choosing to relax until later tonight, Sam, Dean and Shia were sat eating at a booth at the local restaurant. Above them on the wall was your typical small town restaurant decorations, a wooden plague that held a model of a man holding a fish with a string underneath it. A string that if you pulled it, maniacal laughter emitted from the model. And a string Dean kept pulling, much to Sam's dislike, who kept pulling it to shut it up.

"If you pull that string one more time, I'm gonna kill you," Sam told him. Testing the waters, Dean pulled the string again, Sam there in an instant to stop it, only to have Dean start laughing in it's place. And there was no string for Sam to shut him up.

"Come on, man. You need more laughter in your life, you know, you're way too tense," Dean told him, but Sam said nothing, merely took a swig of his beer. "They post it yet?" Dean asked Shia, who turned the laptop she had been on towards Dean, him reading off the screen.

"We have learned from reputable sources that Mordechai Murdoch has a fatal fear of firearms," Dean read. "All right. How long do we wait?"

"Long enough for the new story to spread and the legend to change," Shia told him. "I figure by nightfall, iron rounds will work on the sucker." To this, Sam held up his beer bottle in a cheer, Dean doing the same.

"Sweet," Dean said, clinking his bottle against Sam's and taking a swig, Sam trying to hold back his laughter for a reason only now evident to him, though would soon become evident to Dean and Shia.

After taking his swig, Dean went to put his bottle back down, but found that he couldn't. The bottle wouldn't move from his hand… almost like it was glued there!

Seeing Dean's struggle, Sam gave in and began laughing, both Dean and Shia looking up at him.

"You didn't," Dean said. For an answer, Sam held up the little tube of superglue he had been holding underneath the table, Shia now laughing along with him as she saw the beer bottle on Dean's hand as well.

"Oh, I did," Sam chuckled, Dean just looking shocked. Suddenly in a better mood, Sam pulled the string on the laughing fisherman, he and Shia laughing along with it.

"I'm loving this," Shia said under her breath. Dean sent his girlfriend a death glare as she laughed with his little brother.

Back at the now dubbed 'Hell House' at night, two sheriffs were searching the forest for the origins of a sound that was not mean to be there.

"I'm tellin' ya, I heard something comin' from over there," one of the sheriff's said, the sound getting louder as they moved. "See? There it is again."

Turning the corner, the sheriff's now found the origin of the sound tacked to a nearby tree. The laughing fisherman from the restaurant.

"What is that?" the sheriff remarked. "What the…?"

While they were distracted outside, Sam, Dean and Shia had managed to make their way inside, hoping to finish the job tonight.

"I barely have any skin left on my palm," Dean moaned as they searched the rooms with flashlights and guns drawn.

"I'm not touchin' that line with a ten-foot pole," Sam said, glancing over at Dean's girlfriend, who just gave him a look while Dean shone his flashlight in Sam's face as they made their way to the door leading down in to the cellar.

"So, you think old Mordechai's home?" Shia asked the boys.

"I don't know," Sam answered.

"Me neither," a voice belonging to someone other than their group answered.

Sam, Dean and Shia quickly turned on alert, their guns now drawn at Ed and Harry, both screaming in fright.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey!" Ed said, hands in the air.

"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Shia groaned at them as she and the boys lowered their guns.

"We're just tryin' to get a book and movie deal, okay?" Ed answered. Another noise drew all of their attentions, this one the sound of sharpening knives coming from behind the cellar door. "Oh, crap. Uh, guys, you wanna go open that door for us?"

"Why don't you?" Dean said, his attention trained on the cellar door.

Seconds later, that attention paid off as Mordechai burst through the cellar door, weapons at the ready. Sam, Dean and Shia were quicker, firing until he dissolved into a cloud of smoke. While Sam, Dean and Shia left the room to look around in case he showed up again, Ed and Harry were left dumbfounded where they were.

"Oh, he's gone. He's gone," Ed muttered.

"Did you get him?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah, they got him," was Ed's answer.

"No, on camera," Harry clarified. "Did you get him on camera?"

"Uh, I…." Ed stuttered, grabbing the camera he had to check. Next thing, the camera was destroyed as Mordechai appeared and swung an axe at it, disappearing again as Harry jumped back in fright and Sam, Dean and Shia came back in the room at the commotion.

"Hey. Didn't you guys post that BS story we gave you?" Shia asked them.

"Of course we did," Ed answered.

"Yeah, but then our server crashed," Harry clarified.

"So, it didn't take?" Dean yelled, Ed and Harry merely stuttering. "So, these guns don't work?"

"Yeah," Ed answered.

"Great," Shia groaned, turning to an annoyed looking Sam. "Sam, any ideas?"

"We are getting out of here. Come on, Ed," Harry said, dragging him away.

Reaching the front door, close to freedom, the two were suddenly hampered in their escapes by the ghost of Mordechai materialising in front of him. With a scream they ran back, again blocked as they came to a locked door. Now they had no escape. A locked door behind them and an axe wielding ghost in front of him.

"Mary and Joseph," Harry muttered under his breath, terrified.

"The power of Christ compels you," Ed attempted, getting louder. "The power of Christ compels you!"

"Hey!" Shia called out as she appeared round the corner, Mordechai turning to the newcomer. "You want a piece of me? Trust me, honey. I'll give you the whole damn pie. Come and get it, you ugly son of a bitch."

Mordechai did just that, taking a swing at Shia which she ducked to avoid, the axe hitting the wall. But this didn't stop him. He swung again, this time managing to pin Shia to the wall with the axe handle, choking her.

"Get out of here! Now!" Shia screamed at the two still stood terrified against the wall.

"Run!" Ed reiterated to Harry.

"Yeah, we're outta here," Harry agreed, running as fast and as far as they could out of the house.

In the main room, Sam and Dean were on plan B. Which meant dosing the whole house in lighter fluid while Shia continued to be choked in the other room to save the lives of two little nerds who annoyed the hell outta her.

"Guys!" Shia yelled as loud as she could over the axe handle against her throat, loud enough to bring Sam and Dean running.

"Hey!" Dean yelled, dragging Mordechai's attention to him even if he didn't let Shia drop. An aerosol can and a lighter as his weapon, Dean made his own personal flame thrower, Mordechai shocked back enough to allow Shia to drop to the floor, breathing heavily.

"Go, go, go! Come on," Dean said, helping Shia to her feet as the three of them began to run from the house. "Look, if Mordechai can't leave the house, and we can't kill him, we improvise."

The lighter still in his hand, Dean sparked it up and threw it on the floor, watching as the house, made of wood, instantly began to burn. And quick!

Getting out before the house crumbled around them, Sam, Dean and Shia ran and took cover behind the nearby trees, watching the flames rise. Mordechai was a step behind them, only he stopped as the doorway, watching from the inside as the house burnt around him.

"That's the solution?" Shia said. "Burn the whole damn place to the ground?"

"Well, no one will go in anymore," Dean justified his reasoning. "I mean, look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty, but it works."

"But, what if the legend changes again, and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?" Sam questioned.

"Well, then, we'll just have to come back," was Dean's simple answer. For a moment, the group was silent, simply watching the house. That was until Shia lashed out, hitting Dean hard across the shoulder.

"Owww!" Dean cried out, rubbing at the point she had hit. "What was that for?"

"Taking so long to come save me. You too," she said to a laughing Sam, hitting him in the same place too, immediately stopping his laughter. Again they were silent.

"Kind of makes you wonder," Sam said after a moment. "Of all the things we've hunted, how many existed just 'cause people believed in 'em?"

Sharing a thoughtful glance, Sam, Dean and Shia turned their attention back to the house, watching as the fire raged, taking the Hell House down with it once and for all.

Walking back to the impala, Dean stopped Shia to talk to her for a second.

"What's going on, Dean?" Shia asked. Dean didn't reply he just grabbed her and kissed her gently on the lips, pulling away he gave Shia a cocky smile.

"I almost lost you twice this week, I just want you to know that I lov.." Dean said but hesitated at the end.

"What, dean? Finish what you were saying,"

"I care about you. Okay? I just want you to be safe."

"Oh. Okay." Shia said, leaned in to give Dean one more kiss. "Thanks, Dean. It means a lot."

Next morning, Sam, Dean and Shia were waiting as Ed and Harry came out of their trailer, heading to their loaded up car.

"Gentlemen," Ed said, looking over at Shia as well. "And lady."

"Hey, guys," Sam said as they walked with them.

"Should we tell 'em?" Harry asked Ed.

"Oh, you might as well," Ed told him. "You know they're just gonna read about it in the trades."

"So," Harry began. "This morning, we got a phone call from a very important Hollywood producer."

"Oh, yeah? Wrong number?" Shia said with a smirk.

"No, smartass," Ed retorted. "He read all about the Hell House on our website and wants to option the motion picture rights, maybe even have us write it."

"And create the RPG," Harry added.

"The what?" Dean asked.

"Role-playing game," Harry told him.

"It's a little lingo for ya," Ed continued. "Any who, uh, excuse us, we're off to La-La Land."

"Well, congratulations, guys," Sam said. "That sounds really great."

"Yeah, that's awesome," Dean added.

"Best of luck to you guys," Shia contributed.

"Oh, yeah, luck," Ed laughed. "It's got nothin' to do with it. It's about talent, you know? Sheer, unabashed, talent. Later." Slipping into the car, Ed and Harry paused to turn round to Sam. Dean and Shia, shooting them the peace sign.

"See you around," Ed said as they drove away. Sam, Dean and Shia made their own way to their car, laughing.

"Wow," Dean remarked.

"I have a confession to make," Shia told them.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"I was the one who called them and told them I was a producer," Shia said as they reached the car, the three of them laughing.

"Well, I'm the one who put the dead fish in their backseat," Dean said, the three again laughing for the poor little nerds on their way to an imaginary meeting smelling like a sewer.

"Truce?" Sam asked Dean, referring to their little prank war.

"Yeah, truce," he grinned, Sam sighing. "At least for the next hundred miles."

"Oh, thank God," Shia said with a smile, grabbing the boys attention.

"What?" they both asked.

"Oh, come on boys," Shia said. "The whole thing was getting annoying. I was getting sick of it. So childish."

"Says the woman who just told those boys that she was a producer," Dean said with a sly smirk.

"That was different. They deserved to be pranked." Shia said smiling to her self. Dean pulled her into him and kissed her hard but passionate. Sam cleared his throat to get the couple attention.

"Guys, can we go now?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, here, Sammy," Dean said throwing his brother the car keys. "You drive, I'll spend some time with my girl in the backseat."

"Oh, God." Sam groaned as he opened the drivers seat.

_I honestly think I miss something in this chapter! Anyways, what do you think a semi God or Si God is? What does it have to do with Shia? _


	16. Dead Man's Blood

Miles away from an interesting case, now in the blazing light of midday, Sam, Dean and Shia sit at a diner table, their half eaten meals ignored as they look for their next job, Dean and Shia on one side reading a newspaper together while Sam sits opposite, laptop in front of him.

"All right, dude," Dean said, finally folding the paper and putting it down on the table. "Not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What do you got?"

"Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota," Sam told them eyes still on the computer screen. "Here, a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived."

"Dude, that sounds more like 'That's incredible' than, uh, 'Twilight Zone'," Shia said, and Sam had to agree.

"Hey, you know, we could, uh… we could just keep it in the east," Dean suggested with a somewhat ulterior motive. "New York, upstate. We could stop by and see Sarah again, huh? She's a cool chick, man… smokin'." Ending his sentence in a whistle caused Shia to glare at him, Dean gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Joking," he told her before turning back to Sam. "You two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?"

"Yeah, maybe, someday," Sam said with a short laugh. "But in the meantime, we've got a lot of work to do, Dean, and you know that."

"Yeah, you're right," Dean said, rolling his eyes at his over eager brother. "What else you got?"

"Uh, Manning, Colorado," Sam continued. "A local man by the name of Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home."

"Elkins?" Dean repeated. "I know that name."

"Doesn't ring a bell," Shia said.

"Me either," Sam said, continuing with the description while Dean flicked through their father's journal. "It sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first, they said it was some sort of bear attack, and now, they found signs of robbery."

"Mm-hmm," Dean said distractedly, still flicking through the journal pages until he found the one her was looking for, Shia watching him over his shoulder. "Here. Check it out."

Dean turned the journal so Sam could see the page he had stopped on. It was what looked like one of the few address pages that was actually used for its purpose, and the top phone number listed read D. Elkins.

"You think it's the same Elkins?" Sam questioned.

"It's a Colorado area code, that's for sure," Shia said, the three exchanging a look.

Looking into what they think just might be their kind of case, Sam, Dean and Shia break into Daniel Elkins abandoned house, searching for clues.

"Looks like the maid didn't come today," Dean muttered as he walked in, the mess being the first thing he noticed. Sam, on the other hand, had remained by the door, kneeling as he saw the trail of sale below his feet.

"Hey, there's salt over here, right inside the door," Sam yelled through the house to them.

"You mean, like, protection-against-demons salt, or, uh, 'Oops, I spilled the popcorn' salt?" Shia yelled back at him as she and Dean were going through Elkins stuff.

"It's clearly a ring. You think this guy, Elkins, was a player?" Sam asked them.

"Definitely," Dean and Shia's voice called back to him, the confident tone there enough to make Sam follow their voices, finding them stood by a table, leaning down over Elkins journal.

"That looks a hell of a lot like Dad's," Sam stated.

"Yeah, except this dates back to the sixties," Dean told him, moving the journal aside as he, Sam and Shia moved into the even messier office. This case might hold some stock after all.

"Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one," Sam said, looking around at the overturned chairs, broken furniture and open books strewn across the room.

"Looks like he put up a hell of a fight, too," Dean said as they continued searching the room. Dean was the one to find the box which had held the Colt, although now it was empty, bullets and all. Shia was the one who knelt to the floor, examining the deep gouges she found in the hardwood floor.

"You got somethin'?" Sam asked, looking up to find her knelt in that position.

"I don't know, just some scratches in the floor," Shia said.

"Death throes, maybe?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Shia said, although she didn't sound all that sure. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil from the mess of Elkins desk, she placed it on the floor, over the scratches, and used the pencil to take a rubbing. Peeling it off, she found just one of the many things this could have been.

"Or maybe a message," she told the boys, raising the paper to them. "Look familiar?"

Taking the paper from Shia, the boys found that rather than being death throes, the scratches across the floor had marked out a definite pattern. A combination containing three letter and six digits. Elkins last attempt to pass on a message to whoever came to investigate his mysterious desk. Something the police might look over, but a trained hunter would most definitely see.

"Three letters, six digits," Sam read. "The location and combination of a post office box. It's a mail drop."

"That's just the way Dad does it," Dean added.

After following the code to the nearest post office, Sam, Dean and Shia now sat huddled in the car, shocked at just what they had found inside the locker. All it was was a simple envelope, letter tucked inside. It was what was written on the envelope that caused their shock, two letter that could only mean one thing.

J.W.

"J.W," Sam read off. "You think? John Winchester?"

"No, it's John Wesley. Of course it's John Winchester." Shia mumbled to herself.

"I don't know," Dean answered ignoring Shia. "Should we open it?"

Before Sam or Shia could give him an answer, a loud knock on Dean's side window made the three of them jump, all heads turning that way to see who was standing outside their car. And who they saw was exactly the person this envelope had been addressed to.

John Winchester, the boys father.

"Dad?" Dean muttered in shock, exchanging a confused look with Sam and Shia. John said nothing, he simply slid into the back seat of the car beside Shia. John gave Shia a small smile, she reached over and gave him a huge hug. The two brothers watched the scene in front of them. John hugged her tightly, he really missed that girl. She's like a daughter to him.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sam asked as Shia and John broke apart. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm okay," John finally answered them. "Look, I read the news about Daniel. I got here as fast as I could. I saw you three up at his place."

"Why didn't you come in, John?" Shia asked.

"You know why, because I had to make sure you weren't followed, by anyone, or anything," John told them. "Nice job of covering your tracks, by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learn from the best," Dean said with a slight smile.

"Wait," Sam said, pulling them back on topic. "So, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?"

"Yeah," John said, his voice taking on a note of sadness the three of them had never heard before. "He was… he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

"You never mentioned him to us," Sam stated.

"We had, uh… we had kind of a falling out," John admitted. "I hadn't seen him in years. I should look at that." Knowing what he meant, Dean passed the envelope into the back seat, John ripping it open and stretching out the letter to read it. Shia moved closer to him, trying to do the same over his shoulder, but John changed position, blocking Shia's sightline. She simply sighed and relaxed back into her seat, waiting until he was finished like Sam and Dean.

" 'If you're reading this, I'm already dead'," John began to read, going quiet after the first line and reading to himself. "That son of a bitch."

"What? What is it?" Shia asked.

"He had it the whole time," John said, ignoring Shia's question.

"John, what?" Shia tried to ask again.

"When you searched the place, did you see a gun?" John said, again ignoring Shia's question and starting one of his own. "An antique, a Colt revolver, did you see it?"

"Uh, there was an old case, but it was empty," Dean told him.

"They have it," John said, more to himself then anything.

"You mean, whatever killed Elkins?" Dean asked.

"We've got to pick up the trail," John said as he jumped out of the car, still not giving the trio any answers.

"Wait," Sam called out to him, making John stop and look through the car window at them. "You want us to come with you?"

"If Elkins was tellin' the truth, we've got to find this gun," John told them.

"The gun? Why?" Sam asked.

"Because it's important, that's why," John replied simply.

"John, we don't even know what these things _are_ yet," Shia said, his purposefully unhelpful answers beginning to get to her.

"They were what Daniel Elkins killed best," John told them. "Vampires."

"Vampires?" Dean repeated. "I thought there was no such thing."

"You never even mentioned them, Dad," Sam said.

"I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and others had wiped 'em out. I was wrong," John said as he began telling them just what he knew. "Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."

Tucked into the woods beside the highway, the small group of vampires that had attacked Elkins were proving John's point. They were all sitting or standing round a parked car, drinking and laughing. If you didn't know any better, you would just simply thing they were a group of humans on a rowdy night out.

Out on the highway, a car was driving their way, a mile or so away from passing by the woods. With a wicked smile on her face, the lead vampire, Kate, turned to one of her others.

"All yours, baby," she told the guy, watching him smile just as wickedly as he headed out onto the highway.

Out in that car, a young couple were driving down the highway, the young woman's eyes flicking back and to between her boyfriend in the seat beside her, chuckling softly.

"What?" the man asked her.

"Well, I guess you showed that guy," she said to him, her chuckle turning into an outright laugh.

"What guy?" he asked, confused.

"The guy who bet you you wouldn't buy that shirt," she told him.

"I love this shirt," he said to her, making his girlfriend laugh even more. Rolling her eyes away from him, the woman's attention was drawn to the road in front of them, finding what appeared to be a dead body lying in the middle of the highway.

"Look out!" the woman called to him, making him slam on his brakes. "What happened to him?"

"Call 911," he told her as he got out of his car, crouching down beside him as his girlfriend did as he asked. Kneeling, he now found himself looking into the eyes of the male vampire, eyes flashing devilishly as a set of fangs descended from his gums. An air splitting scream pierced the air as the vampire leapt forward, attaching himself to the guys neck as his fangs sank deep.

If you were to continuing following that highway, you would not too soon find yourself at one of the local motels, where in one room, Sam, Dean and Shia were sleeping peacefully. John, however, was still wide awake, listening to police talk over a walkie-talkie. And whatever he heard clearly got his attention as he jumped from the bed, heading towards SAM, Dean and Shia's sleeping forms.

"Sam, Dean, Shia, let's go," he said, shaking them awake. "Picked up a police call."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"A couple called 911," John told them. "They found a body in the street. Cops got there, everyone was missing. It's the vampires."

"How do you know?" Shia asked him.

"Just follow me, okay?" John said, leaving without giving them a clear answer as they were pretty much used to by now.

"Vampires," Dean muttered to himself as they all got ready to leave. "Gets funnier every time I hear it."

On that once deserted highway, now crowded with cop cars and ambulances, Sam, Dean and Shia stood in wait by the car while John stood a few feet away, talking with the cops.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him," Shia mumbled, half below her breath but enough for the brother's to hear her.

"Oh, don't tell me it's already starting," Dean mumbled back.

"What's starting?" Sam and Shia asked in unison, Dean not having chance to answer them as John walked back over their way.

"What do you got?" Dean asked his father.

"It was them, all right," John said. "Looks like they're headin' west. We're gonna have to double back to get around that detour."

"How the hell can you be so sure?" Shia had to ask.

"Babe…." Dean began to stop her.

"I just wanna know we're going in the right direction," Shia said.

"We are," John said simply.

"How do you know that, John?" Shia repeated.

"I found this," John said, pulling something from his pocket that Dean took from him.

"It's a vampire fang," Dean said, turning it over in his hand.

"No fangs, teeth," he told them. "The second set descends when they attack." With that, he turned his attention to Shia.

"Any more questions?" he asked her. Shia said nothing, she simply lowered her gaze and let him continue. "All right, let's get out of here, we're losin' daylight. Hey, Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were gonna ruin it."

Spiel over, John climbed inside his own truck, leaving Dean staring dumbfounded after him and Sam and Shia trying their best not to laugh. Dean turned to Shia.

"Why do you have to be a brat to my dad?" Dean asked his girlfriend.

"I love your Dad. Trust me, I do. But he can't just barge in and take control over everything. You and him are so much alike but he's just older.." Shia told Dean. Dean gave her a serious look, not wanting to start something he just simply walked pass her to get in the car.

"That was smart of him," Shia said under her breath. "Wait, Dean."

"Yeah?" Dean answered.

"I'm driving. Car keys, now." Dean frowned up, but he gave in a threw Shia his car keys. Shia eagerly hopped in the car and started to follow John.

Still on the road and Shia still behind the wheel, the trio were still driving, Dean having put down the research once it turned dark to now be on the phone with his father in the car in front of them.

"Yeah, Dad. All right, got it," Dean said as he hung up his cell. "Pull off at the next exit."

"Why?" Shia asked.

"Because Dad thinks we've got the vampires' trail," Dean told her.

"How?" Shia asked, getting more annoyed with each none answer she got.

"I don't know, he didn't say," Dean said simply. And Shia hit breaking point.

Stepping on the gas, Shia picked up the speed, shocking a compliant Sam and Dean as the car zipped past John's truck, cutting him off as she skidded to a halt in front of him, causing John to slam on his breaks. Before the Impala had even pulled to a proper stop, Shia had swung the car door open and jumped out.

"Oh, crap. Here we go," Dean said, following Shia out of the car.

"What?" Sam asked, hopping out last.

"You're about to see first hand just what I was talking about earlier. Shia!" Dean called, him and Sam following over to where Shia and John were steadily approaching each other.

"What the hell was that?" John asked as they got face to face.

"We need to talk," Shia told him.

"About what?" John asked.

"About everything," Shia replied.  
"Where we going, John? What's the big deal about this gun?"

"Babe, come on," Dean said, speaking softly to calm his girlfriend, their roles suddenly reversed in their relationship for the first time. "We can Q and A after we kill all the vampires."

"Dean's right," John said, his tone not so calm. "We don't have time for this."

"Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous to be together," Shia continued, ignoring the interruptions. Out of anger her eyes were now a blazing white/blue color. "Now, out of the blue, you need our help. Now, obviously, something big is goin' down, and we wanna know what!"

"Shia, calm down. Get back in the car," John told her.

"No," Shia stated simply.

"I said get back in the damn car," John repeated, taking a step up into Shia's face.

"Yeah. And I said no," Shia said, stepping right back up at him.

"All right, you made your point, baby," Dean said, now trying to almost physically pull Shia away.

"Look, we're all tired," Sam said, stepping in to take the calm approach this time. "We can talk about this later."

"Shia, I mean it, come on," Dean said, again taking the forceful approach as he pushed her back towards the car.

"This is just the reason I wanted to leave," Shia muttered under her breath as they made their way back.

"What'd you say?" John asked, making Shia turn to him again.

"You heard me," Shia said.

"Yeah. _You_ were," John began to yell at her. "Sam left, and you were steps from doing the same, just when me and _your boyfriend, _we needed you. _You _wanted to turn your back on us!" On his last statement, John took the next step forward, grabbing Shia's jacket collar. Even now he was treating her like he owned. He wasn't grabbing her half as hard as he would one of his own boys, she could feel that, but the mere gesture alone was him trying to assert his dominance over her that he expected to have. Demi God or not, John wanted respect.

"He needed me?! Dean never needed me! He always needed you, his father! Damn it, John. This is one of the reasons why I always left to go spend more time with Bobby. So, Dean could more time with you." Shia said pouring her heart and soul out, the weirdest thing happened. As she was speaking her eyes went from blazing blue/white to a soft pink. John stared into her eyes and he could feel the hurt, the pain, the rejection. He knew there was more to her only being a Demi God. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Stop it, both of you!" Dean said, coming to his girlfriend's rescue, but there was no need. Before Dean could even touch either of them, Shia had done the work, lightly shoving John off and away from her.

"You're such a spoiled brat!" John told Shia.

"All right, stop it, stop it," Sam said, grabbing a hold of Shia.

"Stop it, that's enough!" Dean said, taking his father, him and his brother tearing the two apart. Pulling away from their respects holders, Shia and John stormed off in two different directions, each to the car they were riding in.

"Terrific," Dean mumbled, looking over at Sam whose eyes were flicking between Shia and John. "See what I mean?"

"Errr… yeah," Sam said, following his brother into the car. He hadn't ever known anyone but him go at his father like that, and it helped somewhat to know that out of all of this somewhat dysfunctional family the four of them seemed to have, he wasn't exactly the only odd one out.

Next morning, and the only missing vampire, Bo, pulled up outside the nest, stepping out of the car into the bright sunlight, shielding nothing but his eyes as he strolled across to the door Luther was holding open for him.

"I know what time it is," Bo said as he walked past the leader.

"Get in," Luther said simply, motioning him inside before doing a quick scan of the area and following him. In his scan, what he failed to notice was Sam, Dean, Shia and John lying hidden in the trees, watching them.

"Son of a bitch," Dean grumbled. "So, they're really not afraid of the sun?"

"No, direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn," John told them. "The only way to kill them is by beheading. And, yeah, they sleep during the day. It doesn't mean they won't wake up."

"So I guess walking right in's not our best option," Dean stated.

"Actually, that's the plan," John told him, stepping out of the trees and over to his truck. Sam, Dean and Shia followed, only they stopped near the Impala, opening up the false boot.

"Dad, I got an extra machete if you need one," Dean told him, pulling it out from his trunk. Turning however, he found it was needed, as John was now stood in front of much more sophisticated hidden weapons case with a lot more upgraded weapons.

"Think I'm okay. Thanks," John told them as he pulled out one of his own.

"Wow," Dean mumbled, going back to Sam and Shia as they went about getting their own weapons.

"So… you three really wanna know about this Colt?"

Not expecting a question like that from John, it took the three of them a moment to stop what they were doing and turn to him.

"Yeah," Shia said, the only one, after last night, willing to really say anything to him.

"It's just a story, a legend, really," John began to explain to them. "Well, I thought it was. Never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter. Back in 1835, when Halley's Comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo, they say Samuel Colt made a gun, a special gun. He made it for a hunter, a man like us, only on horseback. The story goes he made thirteen bullets. This hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him. Somehow, Daniel got his hands on it. They say… they say this gun can kill anything."

"Kill anything, like supernatural anything?" Dean asked.

"Like the demon," Sam said, realisation dawning.

"Yeah, the demon," John clarified for them. "Ever since I picked up its trail, I've been lookin' for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun… we may have it."

Making their way into the building with all the years of stealth training behind them, Sam, Dean and Shia crept in through the open window, gently closing it behind them. Inside they find a room strung with hammocks, each one holding a sleeping vampire. All that stealth used to gain access is quickly forgotten as Dean kicks over a bottle, jumping out of the way of the noise and directly into the hammock of the nearest sleeping vampire. Sam and Shia look up at him, waiting with baited breath for the attack, but the vampire continues to sleep.

Elsewhere in the building, John had made his way towards the private sleeping quarters that held Luther and Kate, dead to the world for the daylight hours. Not only that, but this room contain the Colt, slung over the bedpost on its holster. John creeps down the steps towards it, pausing only when Luther and Kate roll over in their sleep.

Stepping quietly once more, Sam, Dean and Shia's search of the room brings them to the young woman Kate captured, tied to the post and asleep. Sam and Shia kneel behind her to undo the ropes while another sound close by draws Dean's attention.

"There's more," he whispers, indicating to a cage full of captives. Leaving the first girl to Sam and Shia, Dean makes his way to the cage, grabbing a crowbar on the way to smash the lock, stopping on each swing to check around him for waking vampires.

As they work on untying her hands, the woman in front of Sam and Shia begins to wake, shifting slightly.

"Hey, hey, shhh," Sam whispers to her. "I'm here to help you."

This is clearly not what she wants to hear, as the scream that now escapes her lips is purely inhuman, the shriek of a newborn vampire. Sam and Shia back away quickly, Dean now with them, but it is too late. The vampires are already beginning to wake from their slumber, searching for the intruder.

The scream has also reached within the walls of the private room, waking Luther and Kate just as John's hand closes round the Colt. His chance gone, John can now only hope for escape, picking up the nearest bottle and hurling it at the window, the glass shattering and letting in the bright midday sunlight.

"You three, run!" John calls out, hoping the others can hear him. They are already way ahead in their thinking, however, racing towards the window with the vampires close at their heels. They reach the woods once they realise they have not been followed out into the day.

"Dad?" Dean screams back towards the building, all of them looking for the senior member of their group.

"Dad!" Sam repeats when they get no reply. Shia is about to add her voice to the mix when John appears in front of them slowing to a stop.

"They won't follow," John informs them as the three begin to run again. "They'll wait 'til tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life."

"What the hell do we do now?" Shia asks.

"You got to find the nearest funeral home, that's what," John tells them, confusing the trio even more.

Back at the motel, it is now just John and Sam. Dean and Shia have left for the funeral home, on the errand for John. Still in case mode, John is deep in concentration on research in front of him while Sam pacing impatiently across the floor.

"It shouldn't be taking this long," Sam speaks up finally. "I should go help."

"Dean and Shia have got it," John simply says, not stopping his youngest sons impatient pacing. "So how long has it been for Dean and Shia. I mean...are they..uh.…."

"Yeah. They've been together since we started looking for you. I guess..eight months?" Sam said.

"I saw that coming since the day they met. Me and Bobby took a bet on it. Looks like I won." John said chuckling to himself. "Sammy..."

"Yeah, dad?"

"I don't think I ever told you this, but…." John begins after a small pause. "The day you were born, you know what I did?"

"No," Sam said, confused but still slightly intrigued.

"I put a hundred bucks into a savings account for you," John tells him with a small smile. "I did the same thing for your brother. It was a college fund. And every month, I'd put in another hundred dollars, until…. Anyway, my point is, Sam, that… this is never the life that I wanted for you."

"Then why'd you get so mad when I left?" Sam asked the obvious question, moving to sit across from his father.

"You got to understand something. After your mother passed, all I saw was evil, everywhere. And all I cared about was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you prepared, ready. So, somewhere along the line, I, uh… I stopped being your father. And I… I became your drill sergeant. So, when you said that you wanted to go away to school, all I could think about, my only thought was that you were gonna be alone, vulnerable. Sammy, it just… it never occurred to me what you wanted. I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me… we're just different." Taking a breath, John is surprised when his speech earns himself a small laugh from Sam. "What?"

"We're not different. Not anymore. With what happened to Mom and Jess… we probably have a lot more in common than just about anyone."

"I guess you're right, son."

"Hey, Dad? Whatever happened to that college fund?"

"I spent it on ammo."

They both laugh at this, at least for the moment going back to the father and son they were always meant to be, interrupted only as Dean and Shia walk through the door.

"Damn it!" Shia exclaims, shutting the door behind them. "Man, there's some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys."

"Did you get it?" John asks. In answer, Dean pulls a bag from his pocket, pulling from the bag a jar of blood which he hands to his father with a smile. "You know what to do."

With the sun long gone, darkness now blanketed across the sky, the Impala was parked at the side of the road, hood popped open and Shia buried beneath is, checking over a machine Dean had years ago taught her the exact workings off.

"I need to remind myself to kick John, Sam, and Dean asses for making me do this." Shia mumbled.

"Car trouble?" a voice behind her uttered, and Shia turned to see Bo stood behind her, smirking. "Let me give you a lift. I'll take you back to my place."

"Nah, I'll pass," Shia replied, smirking back. "I usually draw the line at necrophilia."

"Ooh," Bo said, her smirk turning to a full out grin as he backhanded Shia across the face, knocking her to her knees as Kate appears from behind him. Before Shia had a chance to stand up on her own, Bo grabs her by the cheeks, lifting her off the ground.

"Well, I don't normally get this friendly until the third date, but…." Shia continued to joke.

"You know, we could have some fun," Bo told her. "I always like to make new friends." With that, he pulled Shia closer to him, kissing her harshly on the lips.

"Sorry," Shia muttered once he pulled away. "Already taken. And I think you just pissed him off."

And from out of the woods, two arrows come shooting through the air, each one striking their intended victims square in the chest. Bo drops Shia with the shock of the blow, Sam, Dean and John appearing from out of the trees.

"Baby, you ok?" Dean asked, stepping up beside Shia.

"Of Course. Why wouldn't I be?" Shia answered, taking his offered hand and pulling herself up. Dean grabbed her and kissed her once.

"Just to let you know that you're still mine."

"Dean, how can I forget?" Shia said with a small smile.

"Damn it," Kate ground out, drawing their attentions to her. "Barely even stings."

"Give it time, sweetheart. That arrow's soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you, isn't it?" John told her smugly, watching the smile fade from her lips as the poison took affect, knocking the vampire backwards into Dean's waiting arms. "Load her up. I'll take care of this one."

They do just that, Dean carrying Kate away while Sam and Shia follow close behind. Alone in the woods, just John and an immobilized Bo, John raises his machete high, moonlight glinting off the sharp blade as he swings it down, blood splattering across the forest as Bo's head rolls away from his body.

Deeper in the woods, in a natural clearing in the trees, Sam, Dean, Shia and John stand round an open fire, Kate tied to a tree beside them, unconscious, or at least in the stages of it.

"Toss this on the fire," John said, handing over another item to Dean.  
"Saffron, skunks, cabbage, and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers until we're ready."

"Stuff stinks," Dean said, taking a step back as he dropped the last item onto the fire.

"Well, that's the idea," John told them. "Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you'll stand a chance of not being detected."

"You sure they'll come after her?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," John said. "Vampires mate for life. She means more to the leader than the gun. But the blood sickness is gonna wear off soon. So you don't have a lot of time."

"Half-hour ought to do it," Sam said.

"And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can," John told them.

"But…." Shia began to argue.

"Dad, you can't take care of them all yourself," Dean calmly said to his father.

"I'll have her and the Colt," John reasoned.

"But after, we're gonna meet up, right? Use the gun _together_, right?" Shia asked John, to which she got no answer. And that was all the answer she needed. "You're leaving again, aren't you? You still want to go after the demon alone? You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this."

"Like what?" John asked.

"Like children," Sam finished for Shia.

"I'm trying to keep you safe," John told them simply.

"Dad, all due respect, but that's a bunch of crap," Dean added to the argument, earning himself a look of shock from everyone conscious within the clearing.

"Excuse me?" John said, not expecting to hear that from his oldest son.

"You know what Sammy, Shia and I have been huntin'," Dean continued. "Hell, you sent us on a few huntin' trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe."

"Its not the same thing, Dean," John tried to argue.

"Then what is it?" Dean asked. "Why do you want us out of the big fight?"

"This demon? Its a bad son of a bitch," John said. "I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive."

"You mean you can't be as reckless," Dean clarified.

"Look…." John began solemnly. "I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother's death… it almost killed me. I can't watch you three die, too. I won't."

"What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die and we could have done somethin' about it? You know, I've been thinkin'… I think maybe Shia's right about this one. I think we should do this together," Dean told his father, earning a nod of agreement and encouragement from both Sam and Shia. "We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it."

"We're running out of time. You do your job, and you get out of the area. That's an order," John said, walking away.

Conversation: over.

Back at their hide-out, Luther stood with a group of vampires, watching as Hank, another of his group, pulled up their car in front of him.

"Is there any sign of those four?" Luther asked the second her stepped from the vehicle.

"No, somethin' else," Hank answered.

"What?" Luther asked.

"Luther, they cut off Bo's head," Hank told him.

"And Kate?" Luther asked immediately.

"I don't know. She wasn't there. What are we gonna do?" Hank asked, panic clear in his voice. In the distance there is the sound of a truck driving across the highway. An everyday sound that right now has Luther's undivided attention. "It's just a truck up on the highway."

"Kate," Luther said simply. "She's in that truck."

And she is, for the truck Luther had heard was John's, Kate barely conscious in the passenger seat beside him.

While Luther had pulled together a group of his best vampires, Hank had been left behind to keep guard unless any of the Winchesters decided to stop by for a visit.

Drink in hand, Hank cautiously looked round at a sound from the other room, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Turning to head back into the main room, Hank finds himself face to face with Dean and Shia, machete's raised.

"Boo," Dean deadpans, swiping the blade round and taking Hank's head clean off. With their only obstacle out of the way, Dean and Shia move to the back of the room and the cage where the other prisoners are being held. "I told you I'd come back," he said, smashing the lock.

With their job for the night done, Dean and Shia were back at the motel, waiting to hear from John. And neither was waiting patiently. Shia had been pacing the floor for so long, you could almost see the original color of the carpet. And Dean was stood stiffly by the wall, glancing up at the clock every two minutes.

"You know, maybe dad was right. Maybe it is better if we stay out of this," Dean said, finally breaking the silence in the room. And after it came a short, humorless laugh from Shia.

"Oh, well that didn't last too long, did it," she muttered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"This new argue back attitude of yours," Shia said, stopping her pacing right in front of Dean. "And to think I actually thought you might have changed after all these years."

"Dad knows what he's talking about, Shia," Dean said. "We're his kids and he's just looking out for him."

"No, you're his kids," Shia corrected him. "I'm not, Dean."

"Come on, you know he cares about you like he does me and Sam, you know he thinks of you as…."

"No, Dean, he doesn't. I'm just the girl that's sleeping with one of his sons. And that's fine with me, because I've never had to pander to him like you seem to think you have to. Dean… you know you don't have to. I thought you got that today… but I guess not."

"Shia," Dean began, stepping closer towards her. "I care about you, you know that. And that happens to mean wanting to keep you in one, safe piece. Which sometimes might mean listening to my dad."

"Dean, it's vampires! You said it yourself, we've dealt with worse. For God's sake, Dean, you just turn into the perfect little mindless soldier when your dad's around. He say's jump, you say how high!"

Her anger depleting slightly, Shia smirked as a thought occurred to her, slinking towards Dean who openly gulped as he watched her move, almost like a predator stalker it's prey. And Dean wasn't all that sure if he liked being prey right now.

"Do you wanna know what the first thing that made me fall in love with you was?

"What?"

"The wonderful little rebellious streak you have," Shia told him, her arms slinking round his neck as she stood directly in front of him now, his arms taking up position on her hips. "The one that makes you turn your nose up at authority. The one that suddenly disappears every time you're around your dad. I know you love him Dean, and we've been looking for him all this time… but there does come a time when little boys have to grow up and realize that their dads don't always make the right choices or say the right things."

"Yeah… but can that time be a while from now?" Dean joked with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood as always. But there was still a glint in his eyes that hadn't been there a moment ago, a glint that told Shia she might just be getting through to him.

Which was the only reason she gave in, laughing softly against Dean's lips as he leant down to kiss her.

Up on the highway, John continued his journey with Kate in the seat beside him slowly begin to come back to reality. But as he turned the next corner, his journey was brought abruptly to a halt as he was meet by a road block that consisted of Luther and three other vampires stood in front of their cars, causing him to slam on his brakes.

"Get out!" Luther shouted, John doing as he was asked. "Who are you?"

"The name's Winchester," John answered him.

"Where are your friends?" Luther asked him.

"Cleanin' out your nest," John answered simply.

"Where's Kate?" Luther asked.

"Come here, sweetheart," John said, pulling on a length of rope and dragging Kate from the truck, hands bound. Bringing her closer to Luther, John held a knife at the young woman's throat to keep the rest of the vampires at bay.

"Kate, you all right?" Luther asked her.

"Dead man's blood," Kate answered weakly.

"You son of a bitch," Luther growled at John.

"We want the Colt, Elkins' gun. Trade."

"Is that what this is all about? I mean, you can't shoot us all, right? We'll kill you."

"Oh, I don't need it for you. I'm savin' it for somethin' else. Put the Colt down, or she goes first."

"All right. Just don't hurt her," Luther said, taking out the Colt and placing it on the ground.

"Back up," John said, Luther taking a few steps back. "Further." He backs up further and John moves forward, kneeling down so Kate can pick up the gun.

"That's a nice move," Luther said with a smile. "You almost made it."

Suddenly, the equilibrium changed. Kate, her strength back, hit John with the gun, sending him into his truck and the gun flying across the ground. Luther joins her, hitting John so hard he careens back into the door of his truck, slumping to the ground like a dead weight.

Before the vampires have time to gloat over their win, an arrow flies from the cover of the woods, slicing through the back of a vampire. Turning at the sound, Luther watches as Sam, Dean and Shia rush out from the woods, taking out another vampires with an arrow as they run. Pissed and at breaking point, Luther storms forward, hitting the first enemy he comes to, Sam, and knocking him to the ground. Lifting him by the throat, Luther's attention is brought to Dean and Shia heading his way, weapons in hand.

"Don't! I'll break his neck. Put the blade down," Luther screams at them. The pair freeze, Shia's nudge and desperate look at a choking Sam making Dean drop his blade. "You people… why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do."

"I don't think so."

Sam still in hand, Luther turns to see John on his feet, Colt aimed high. Without a seconds pause, John squeezes the trigger, shooting Luther direct in the middle of his forehead. Weakened, Luther drops Sam, who stumbles back into Shia waiting hold, a trickle of blood running down his nose as he sinks to his knees.

"Luther!" Kate calls desperately, her and the other vampires only able to watch as a flash of bright white light streaks through Luther's body before her falls limp to the floor, dead. Overcome by anger, Kate makes forward towards John, only to be held back by another female vampire.

"Kate, don't!" she cries, pulling her back towards the cars. Sam, Dean, Shia and John watch as, throwing angry glares their way, the vampires finally retreat, tires kidding as they pull out.

Mission completed, Sam, Dean and Shia finish their day with packing, their duffels half full as John steps into the room.

"So, guys…." John begins, the other three stopping what they are doing to turn his way.

"Yes, sir?" Sam answers automatically.

"You ignored a direct order back there," John tells them.

"Yes, sir," Sam repeats.

"But we saved your ass," Shia finishes for him.

"You're right," John says simply.

"I am?" Shia said, completely shocked.

"It scares the hell out of me," John continues. "You three are all I've got. But I guess we _are_ stronger as a family. So, we go after this damn thing… together."

"Yes, sir," Sam and Dean reply with a smile. John turns to look at Shia, the one who didn't answer, ready for some other kind of argument.

"Yes…." She begins, smiling cheekily as the last word now tumbles easily from her lips. "Sir."

"Did that sting your lips?" John asked chuckling a little.

"A little." Shia answered.

"Boys, give me a minute with Shia." John told the boys, Shia turned to them and nodded telling them it was okay to leave her alone. "I love you, kid."

"You do?" Shia asked, her voice was full of shock.

"Yes. Now, I'm sorry about the things I've said. You might be legally bobby's but you're still my little girl." John said pulling her into a tight embrace.

At the end of the day, Shia will always love John.

Heyyy. Thanks for reading. Please be sure to review. I love reading comments. Do you want me to start a second book to the Supernatural series?


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